The Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold was instituted by the State President of the

Republic of Bophuthatswana Bophuthatswana (, meaning "gathering of the Tswana people"), officially the Republic of Bophuthatswana ( tn, Riphaboliki ya Bophuthatswana; af, Republiek van Bophuthatswana), was a Bantustan (also known as "Homeland"; an area set aside for mem ...

in 1982, for award to all ranks as a long service medal for thirty years service and good conduct.South African Medal Website - Bophuthatswana Defence Force
(Accessed 30 April 2015)Republic of Bophuthatswana Constitution Act, 1977
/ref>

The Bophuthatswana Defence Force

The

Bophuthatswana Defence Force The Bophuthatswana Defence Force ( af, Bophuthatswana Weermag; BDF) was established on 6 December 1977 from trainees of the South African Defence Force. It was the defence force of the Republic of Bophuthatswana, a nominally independent bantusta ...

(BDF) was established upon that country's independence on 6 December 1977. The Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Bophuthatswana 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 Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold was instituted by the State President of Bophuthatswana in 1982. It is the senior award of a set of three medals for long service and good conduct, along with the

Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Silver The Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Silver was instituted by the State President of the Republic of Bophuthatswana in 1982, for award to all ranks as a long service medal for twenty years service and good conduct.Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Bronze The Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Bronze was instituted by the State President of the Republic of Bophuthatswana in 1982, for award to all ranks as a long service medal for ten years service and good conduct.South African Medal Website - Legal aspects - Fount of Honour
(Accessed 1 May 2015) Bophuthatswana's military decorations and medals were modelled on those of the Republic of South Africa and these three medals are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, the Good Service Medal, Gold, the

Good Service Medal, Silver The Good Service Medal, Silver, originally named the South African Defence Force Good Service Medal, Silver, is the middle member of a set of three South African military decorations, military medals which was instituted by the South Africa, Rep ...

and the Good Service Medal, Bronze.

Award criteria

The medal could be awarded to all ranks for thirty years service and good conduct.

Order of wear

Since the Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold was authorised for wear by one of the statutory forces which came to be part of the

South 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. ;Bophuthatswana Defence Force until 26 April 1994: Ribbon - Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Silver

Ribbon - Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Silver

*Official BDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Independence Medal. ** Succeeded by the

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Good Service Medal, Gold of the Republic of South Africa. ** Succeeded by the Long Service Medal, Gold of the

Republic of Venda Venda () was a Bantustan in northern South Africa, which is fairly close to the South African border with Zimbabwe to the north, while to the south and east, it shared a long border with another black homeland, Gazankulu. It is now part of the ...

. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Prisons Medal for Faithful Service, Silver of the Republic of Transkei. ** Succeeded by the Police Star for Merit of the KwaZulu Homeland.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, The position of the Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold 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 Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold is a silver-gilt medallion, 38 millimetres in diameter and 3 millimetres thick at the rim, with a 4 millimetres wide raised rim and displaying the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. The suspender depicts the horns of the ''Malete'' (African buffalo).Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF)
/ref> ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and light brown, with a 6 millimetres wide green band in the centre.

Discontinuation

Conferment of the Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold was discontinued when the Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994.

References

{{South African military decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of Bophuthatswana Awards established in 1982 Awards disestablished in 1994 1982 establishments in Africa 1994 disestablishments in Africa