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The South Africa Service Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in 1998. It was awarded to veteran cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army for operational service inside South Africa during the "struggle".South African Medals Website - Liberation armies
(Accessed 30 April 2015)
/ref>
as presented by the
*Official MK order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa.
** Succeeded by the Service Medal in Gold.
;Azanian People's Liberation Army:
*Official APLA order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa.
** Succeeded by the 
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army.
** Succeeded by the Tshumelo Ikatelaho of the Republic of South Africa.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army.
** Succeeded by the Tshumelo Ikatelaho of the Republic of South Africa.
/ref>
;Reverse The reverse has a raised rim and displays the embellished pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms.Old MK APLA General Service Miniature Medal
/ref> ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 4 millimetres wide blue band, an 8 millimetres wide yellow band and a 1 millimetre wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 6 millimetres wide red band in the centre.
(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-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...
(ANC), while 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 ...
(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
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the public broadcaster in South Africa, and provides 19 radio stations ( AM/ FM) as well as six television broadcasts to the general public. It is one of the largest of South Africa's stat ...
and the South African History Archive (SAHA).Institution
The South Africa Service Medal was instituted by the President of South Africa in April 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 inside South Africa during the "struggle".Order of wear
The position of the South Africa Service Medal 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. ;Umkhonto we Sizwe:
*Official MK order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa.
** Succeeded by the Service Medal in Gold.
;Azanian People's Liberation Army:
*Official APLA order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa.
** Succeeded by the Gold Service Medal
The Gold Service Medal 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 Pan Africanist Congress of Az ...
.
;South African National Defence Force until 26 April 2003:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa of Umkhonto we Sizwe and 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 ...
.
** Succeeded 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 ...
.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army.
** Succeeded by the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal of the United Kingdom.
;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army.
** Succeeded by the Tshumelo Ikatelaho of the Republic of South Africa.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Operational Medal for Southern Africa of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army.
** Succeeded by the Tshumelo Ikatelaho of the Republic of South Africa.
Description
;Obverse The South Africa Service Medal is a medallion struck in nickel-silver, 38 millimetres in diameter with a raised rim, and depicts a crossedknobkierie
A knobkerrie, also spelled knobkerry, knobkierie, and knopkierie (Afrikaans), is a form of wooden club, used mainly in Southern and Eastern Africa. Typically they have a large knob at one end and can be used for throwing at animals in hunting or ...
and spear on an African shield above a map of South Africa.Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK)/ref>
;Reverse The reverse has a raised rim and displays the embellished pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms.Old MK APLA General Service Miniature Medal
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/ref> ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 4 millimetres wide blue band, an 8 millimetres wide yellow band and a 1 millimetre wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 6 millimetres wide red band in the centre.
Discontinuation
Conferment of the South Africa Service Medal 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