Operational Medal for Southern Africa on:
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The Operational Medal for Southern Africa was instituted by the President of the
(Accessed 30 April 2015)
/ref>
as presented by the SABC and the South African History Archive (SAHA).
*Official MK order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Merit Medal in Bronze (MMB).
** Succeeded by the South Africa Service Medal.
;Azanian People's Liberation Army:
*Official APLA order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Bronze Medal for Merit (BMM).
** Succeeded by the South Africa Service Medal.
;South African National Defence Force until 26 April 2003:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the General Service Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
** Succeeded by the South Africa Service Medal of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the General Service Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
** Succeeded by the South Africa Service Medal of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army.
/ref>
/ref> ;Reverse The reverse has a wide raised rim and displays the embellished pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 4 millimetres wide red band, an 8 millimetres wide green band and a 1 millimetre wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 6 millimetres wide black band in the centre.
Republic of South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
in 1998. It was awarded to veteran cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army for operational service outside South Africa during the "struggle".South African Medal Website - Liberation armies(Accessed 30 April 2015)
MK and APLA
Umkhonto we Sizwe, abbreviated as MK, "Spear of the Nation" in Zulu, was the para-military wing of theAfrican National Congress
The African National Congress (ANC) is a Social democracy, social-democratic political party in Republic of South Africa, South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when ...
(ANC), while the Azanian People's Liberation Army (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 ...
. Both were established in 1961 to wage an armed "struggle" against the Nationalist government inside South Africa. On 27 April 1994, Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army were amalgamated with five statutory defence forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).TRC Final Report: Pan African Congress/ref>
as presented by the SABC and the South African History Archive (SAHA).
Institution
The Operational Medal for Southern Africa was instituted by thePresident of South Africa
The president of South Africa is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of South Africa. The president heads the executive branch of the Government of South Africa and is the commander-in-chief of the South African Nationa ...
in 1998.
Award criteria
The medal could be awarded to veteran cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army for operational service outside South Africa during the "struggle".Order of wear
The position of the Operational Medal for Southern Africa in the official military and national orders of precedence was revised upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003, but it remained unchanged.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. ;Umkhonto we Sizwe:
*Official MK order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Merit Medal in Bronze (MMB).
** Succeeded by the South Africa Service Medal.
;Azanian People's Liberation Army:
*Official APLA order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Bronze Medal for Merit (BMM).
** Succeeded by the South Africa Service Medal.
;South African National Defence Force until 26 April 2003:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the General Service Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
** Succeeded by the South Africa Service Medal of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the General Service Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
** Succeeded by the South Africa Service Medal of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army.
Description
;Obverse The Operational Medal for Southern Africa is a medallion struck in nickel-silver, 38 millimetres in diameter with a raised rim, and depicts a baobab tree inside a hexagonal frame of chain.Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK)/ref>
/ref> ;Reverse The reverse has a wide raised rim and displays the embellished pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 4 millimetres wide red band, an 8 millimetres wide green band and a 1 millimetre wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 6 millimetres wide black band in the centre.
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Discontinuation
Conferment of the Operational Medal for Southern Africa 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 uMkhonto we Sizwe Military decorations and medals of Azanian People's Liberation Army 1998 establishments in South Africa 2003 disestablishments in South Africa Awards established in 1998 Awards disestablished in 2003