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The Gold Decoration for Merit, post-nominal letters GDM, was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of the
(Accessed 30 April 2015)
(Accessed 28 April 2015)
(Accessed 1 May 2015) The Azanian People's Liberation Army's military decorations and medals were modelled on those of the South African Defence Force and these three decorations are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, the Southern Cross Decoration and
*Official APLA order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Star for Conspicuous Leadership (SCL).
** Succeeded by the 
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
** Succeeded by the Van Riebeeck Medal (VRM) of the Republic of South Africa.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
** Succeeded by the Order of the Star of South Africa Class IV, Officer (OSSA) of the Republic of South Africa.
;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
** Succeeded by the iPhrothiya yeGolide (PG) of the Republic of South Africa.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
** Succeeded by the iPhrothiya yeGolide (PG) of the Republic of South Africa.
/ref> ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and dark blue, with two 6 millimetres wide yellow bands in the centre, spaced 4 millimetres apart.
Azanian People's Liberation Army
The Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA), formerly known as Poqo, was the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress, an African nationalist movement in South Africa. In the Xhosa language, the word 'Poqo' means 'pure'.
After attacks on ...
, the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress
The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (known as the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC)) is a South African national liberation Pan-Africanist movement that is now a political party. It was founded by an Africanist group, led by Robert Sobukwe, that ...
, for outstanding service and utmost devotion to duty during the "struggle".South African Medal Website - Liberation armies(Accessed 30 April 2015)
(Accessed 28 April 2015)
Azanian People's Liberation Army
TheAzanian People's Liberation Army
The Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA), formerly known as Poqo, was the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress, an African nationalist movement in South Africa. In the Xhosa language, the word 'Poqo' means 'pure'.
After attacks on ...
(APLA) was the para-military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress
The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (known as the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC)) is a South African national liberation Pan-Africanist movement that is now a political party. It was founded by an Africanist group, led by Robert Sobukwe, that ...
(PAC). It was established in 1961 to wage an armed "struggle" against the Nationalist government inside South Africa. On 27 April 1994, the Azanian People's Liberation Army was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).Warrant of the President of the Republic of South Africa for the Institution of the "UNITAS MEDAL-UNITAS-MEDALJE", Gazette no. 16087 dated 25 November 1994.
Institution
The Gold Decoration for Merit, post-nominal letters GDM, was instituted by the President of South Africa in April 1996. It is the senior award of a set of three decorations for merit, along with theSilver Medal for Merit
The Silver Medal for Merit, post-nominal letters SMM, was instituted by the President of the South Africa, Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army, the military wing of the ...
and the Bronze Medal for Merit.South African Medal Website - Legal aspects - Fount of Honour(Accessed 1 May 2015) The Azanian People's Liberation Army's military decorations and medals were modelled on those of the South African Defence Force and these three decorations are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, the Southern Cross Decoration and
Pro Merito Decoration
The Pro Merito Decoration, post-nominal letters PMD, is a military decoration for merit which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to other ranks of the South African Defence Force for outstanding servi ...
, the Southern Cross Medal (1975)
The Southern Cross Medal of 1975, post-nominal letters SM, is a military decoration which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to officers of the South African Defence Force for exceptionally meritorious ...
and Pro Merito Medal (1975)
The Pro Merito Medal of 1975, post-nominal letters PMM, is a military decoration which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to other ranks of the South African Defence Force for exceptionally meritorious ...
, and the Military Merit Medal.
Award criteria
The decoration could be awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army for outstanding service and utmost devotion to duty during the "struggle".Order of wear
The position of the Gold Decoration for Merit in the official military and national orders of precedence was revised upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, Presidential Warrant by the President of the Republic of South Africa for the Institution of Honours for Bravery in the South African National Defence Force, Gazette no. 25213 dated 25 July 2003. ;Azanian People's Liberation Army:
*Official APLA order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Star for Conspicuous Leadership (SCL).
** Succeeded by the Silver Medal for Merit
The Silver Medal for Merit, post-nominal letters SMM, was instituted by the President of the South Africa, Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army, the military wing of the ...
(SMM).
;South African National Defence Force until 26 April 2003:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
** Succeeded by the Van Riebeeck Medal (VRM) of the Republic of South Africa.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
** Succeeded by the Order of the Star of South Africa Class IV, Officer (OSSA) of the Republic of South Africa.
;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
** Succeeded by the iPhrothiya yeGolide (PG) of the Republic of South Africa.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
** Succeeded by the iPhrothiya yeGolide (PG) of the Republic of South Africa.
Description
;Obverse The Gold Decoration for Merit is a silver-gilt straight armed cross with indented ends, which fits in a circle with a diameter of 38 millimetres. The arms of the cross are in white enamel, with the Azanian People's Liberation Army emblem in a dark blue enameled roundel in the centre.Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Azanian Peoples Liberation Army (APLA)/ref> ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and dark blue, with two 6 millimetres wide yellow bands in the centre, spaced 4 millimetres apart.
Discontinuation
Conferment of the Gold Decoration for Merit was discontinued upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003.References
{{South African military decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of Azanian People's Liberation Army Awards established in 1996 Awards disestablished in 2003 1996 establishments in South Africa 2003 disestablishments in South Africa