The Long Service Medal, Gold was instituted by the President of the
Republic of Venda in 1985, for award to all ranks for thirty years exemplary service.
[South African Medal Website - Venda Defence Force](_blank)
(Accessed 30 April 2015)
The Venda Defence Force
The 900 member Venda Defence Force (VDF) was established upon that country's independence on 13 September 1979. The Republic of Venda ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Venda 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 Long Service Medal, Gold was instituted by the President of Venda in 1985. It is the senior award of a set of three medals for long service, along with the
Long Service Medal, Silver and the
Long Service Medal, Bronze.
[South African Medal Website - Legal aspects - Fount of Honour](_blank)
(Accessed 1 May 2015)
Venda'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 and the
Good Service Medal, Bronze.
Award criteria
The medal could be awarded to all ranks for thirty years of exemplary service.
Order of wear
Since the Long Service Medal, 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 Chief 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 of ...
on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date. The position of the Long Service Medal, Gold in the official order of precedence was revised twice after 1994, to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first 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 ...
and
Umkhonto we Sizwe
uMkhonto weSizwe (; abbreviated MK; ) was the paramilitary wing of the African National Congress (ANC), founded by Nelson Mandela in the wake of the Sharpeville massacre. Its mission was to fight against the South African government to brin ...
, and again 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, ]
;Venda Defence Force until 26 April 1994:
*Official VDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the
Independence Medal.
** Succeeded by the
Long Service Medal, Silver.
*Venda official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the National Force Long Service Medal, 30 Years.
** Succeeded by the Police Star for Merit.
;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the
Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold of the
Republic of Bophuthatswana.
** Succeeded by the
John Chard Decoration (JCD) of the
Republic of South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Medal for Faithful Service in the Prisons Service, Gold of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
** Succeeded by the Police Star for Merit of the
Republic of Venda.
;South African National Defence Force from April 1996:
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
** Succeeded by the
Gold Service Medal of 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 ...
.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Medal for Faithful Service in the Prisons Service, Gold of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
** Succeeded by the Police Star for Merit of the Republic of Venda.
The position of the Long Service Medal, Gold remained unchanged, as it was in April 1996, when a new set of honours was instituted on 27 April 2003.
Description
;Obverse
The Long Service Medal, Gold is silver-gilt medallion, 38 millimetres in diameter, depicting the
Coat of Arms of the Republic of Venda.
[Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Venda Defence Force (BDF)](_blank)
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The suspender is in the form of a pair of crossed elephant tusks and is different on the full size and miniature medals. On the full-size medal, depicted at the top, the ends of the tusks reach to approximately the ten-thirty and one-thirty clock positions on the medallion, while on the miniature medal, as depicted alongside, they reach to approximately the nine-thirty and two-thirty clock positions on the medallion.
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;Reverse
The reverse is inscribed "MENDELE WA TSHUMELO YA TSHIFHINGA TSHILAPFU MIINWAHA YA FURARU", the number of years service.
Discontinuation
Conferment of the Long Service Medal, Gold was discontinued when the Republic of Venda ceased to exist on 27 April 1994.
References
{{South African military decorations and medals
Military decorations and medals of Venda
Long service medals
Awards established in 1985
Awards disestablished in 1994
1985 establishments in Africa
1994 disestablishments in Africa
