Independence Medal (Transkei) on:
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The Independence Medal was instituted by the State President of the Republic of Transkei to commemorate Independence on 26 October 1976. It was awarded to all ranks on the active strength of the Transkei Defence Force upon independence.South African Medals Website - Transkei Defence Force
(Accessed 30 April 2015)Republic of Transkei Constitution Act, 1976, Act no. 15 of 1976
/ref>
(Accessed 1 May 2015)
*Official TDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Defence Force Medal.
** Succeeded by the Military Rule Medal.
*Transkei official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Police Medal for Combating Terrorism.
** Succeeded by the Military Rule Medal.
;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal of the
/ref> ;Reverse The reverse is plain with a raised rim and is inscribed "UZIMELE" and "26•10•76" in two lines. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 4 millimetres wide brown band and a 4 millimetres wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 16 millimetres wide green band. Brown, white and green are the colours of the national flag of Transkei.
(Accessed 30 April 2015)Republic of Transkei Constitution Act, 1976, Act no. 15 of 1976
/ref>
The Transkei Defence Force
TheTranskei Defence Force
The Transkei Defence Force (TDF) was established during March 1981, from the 141 Battalion of the South African Defence Force (SADF). It was the defence force of the Republic of Transkei, a nominally independent bantustan during the Apartheid er ...
(TDF) was established upon that country's independence on 26 October 1976. The Republic of Transkei ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Transkei Defence Force 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 Independence Medal was instituted by the State President of Transkei on 26 October 1976, to commemorate the independence of the Republic of Transkei. While the medal is known to have been instituted and awarded, no warrant has yet been traced.South African Medals Website - Legal aspects - Fount of Honour(Accessed 1 May 2015)
Award criteria
The medal was awarded to all ranks who were on the active strength of the Transkei Defence Force upon independence, including members on detached duty from theSouth African Defence Force
The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence F ...
.
Order of wear
Since the Independence Medal was authorised for wear by one of the statutory forces which came to be part of theSouth African National Defence Force
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services. They are in turn accountable to the Minister ...
on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date.
;Transkei Defence Force until 26 April 1994:
*Official TDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Defence Force Medal.
** Succeeded by the Military Rule Medal.
*Transkei official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Police Medal for Combating Terrorism.
** Succeeded by the Military Rule Medal.
;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
** Succeeded by the Independence Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal of the United Kingdom.
** Succeeded by the Independence Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005,
The position of the Independence Medal in the order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory forces, the 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 ...
and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003.
Description
;Obverse The Independence Medal is a medallion struck in bronze, 38 millimetres in diameter and 3 millimetres thick at the raised rim, displaying the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Transkei.Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Transkei Defence Force (TDF)
/ref> ;Reverse The reverse is plain with a raised rim and is inscribed "UZIMELE" and "26•10•76" in two lines. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 4 millimetres wide brown band and a 4 millimetres wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 16 millimetres wide green band. Brown, white and green are the colours of the national flag of Transkei.
Discontinuation
Conferment of the Independence Medal was discontinued in 1976.References
{{South African military decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of Transkei