The Pro Merito Decoration, post-nominal letters PMD, is a military decoration for merit which was instituted by the

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 countr ...

on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to other ranks of the

South 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 ...

for outstanding service of the highest order and utmost devotion to duty.South African Medal Website - Post-nominal Letters
(Accessed 28 April 2015)
/ref>Alexander, E.G.M., Barron, G.K.B. and Bateman, A.J. (1986). ''South African Orders, Decorations and Medals''. Human and Rousseau.Monick, S, (1988). ''South African Military Awards 1912-1987''. South African National Museum of Military History.

The South African military

The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994, it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
(Accessed 30 April 2015)
(Accessed 30 April 2015)Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 457, no. 25213, Pretoria, 25 July 2003
/ref>

Institution

The Pro Merito Decoration, post-nominal letters PMD, was instituted by the State President on 1 July 1975.
(Accessed 1 May 2015)

Award criteria

The decoration could be awarded to other ranks of the

for outstanding service of the highest order and utmost devotion to duty. A Bar was instituted in 1993, to be awarded in recognition of further similar displays of outstanding service of the highest order and utmost devotion to duty. The equivalent award for officers was the

Southern Cross Decoration The Southern Cross Decoration, post-nominal letters SD, is a South African military decoration for merit which was instituted by the Republic on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to officers of the South African Defence Force for outstanding service ...

(SD). Although not prescribed, the practice was generally that the recipient must already have received the Pro Merito Medal (PMM).

Order of wear

The position of the Pro Merito Decoration in the official order of precedence was revised three times after 1975 to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first upon the integration into the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, again in April 1996, when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted 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 finally upon the institution of a new set of awards on 27 April 2003. ;South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994: SDlint

*Official SADF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the

(SD). ** Succeeded by the Van Riebeeck Medal (VRM). *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Southern Cross Decoration (SD). ** Succeeded by the Police Star for Distinguished Service (SOO).Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993 ;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994: SDlint

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Southern Cross Decoration (SD) of the

. ** Succeeded by the Defence Force Merit Decoration 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 ...

. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Southern Cross Decoration (SD) of the Republic of South Africa. ** Succeeded by the Police Star for Distinguished Service (SOO) of the Republic of South Africa. ;South African National Defence Force from April 1996: SDlint

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Southern Cross Decoration (SD) of the Republic of South Africa. ** Succeeded by the Conspicuous Leadership Star (CLS) of Umkhonto we Sizwe. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Southern Cross Decoration (SD) of the Republic of South Africa. ** Succeeded by the Conspicuous Leadership Star (CLS) of Umkhonto we Sizwe.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005. In the document, the printed identification number is 9771682584003. The position of the Pro Merito Decoration in the order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was in April 1996, when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted on 27 April 2003.

Description

;Obverse The Pro Merito Decoration is a silver-gilt

Maltese cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which develope ...

, which fits in a circle 45 millimetres in diameter. The arms of the cross are in white enamel, with a

disa uniflora ''Disa uniflora'', the red disa or pride of Table Mountain, is a South African species of orchid in the family ''Orchidaceae''. It is the type species of the genus ''Disa'', and one of its best-known members. It is occasionally referred to by it ...

, in red enamel, on a framed roundel in dark blue enamel in the centre. A protea attaches the decoration to the ribbon suspender. ;Reverse The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms in the centre, with the silver hallmark below it and the decoration number impressed on the bottom arm of the cross. ;Bar The Bar is silver-gilt and has an emblem, depicting a

Protea ''Protea'' () is a genus of South African flowering plants, also called sugarbushes (Afrikaans: ''suikerbos''). Etymology The genus ''Protea'' was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus, possibly after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his form a ...

, embossed in the centre. The same bar was used to indicate multiple awards of the

Pro Virtute Decoration The Pro Virtute Decoration, post-nominal letters PVD, is a military decoration for bravery which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1987. It was awarded to officers of the South African Defence Force for distinguished conduct an ...

, Pro Merito Decoration and

Ad Astra Decoration The Ad Astra Decoration, post-nominal letters AAD, was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1991, to reward South African Air Force aircrew members on board aircraft for excellent airmanship or outstanding ingenuity or skill during em ...

. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and dark blue, with a 4 millimetres wide white band in the centre.

Discontinuation

Conferment of the decoration was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003, when the

and the Pro Merito Decoration were both replaced by the new

iPhrothiya yeGolide The iPhrothiya yeGolide - Golden Protea, post-nominal letters PG, was instituted by the President of the South Africa, Republic of South Africa on 16 April 2003 and came into effect on 27 April 2003. It can be awarded to all ranks who have dist ...

.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 26778, Pretoria, 17 September 2004

References

{{South African military decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of South Africa 1975 establishments in South Africa Awards established in 1975