Evolution of The South African Honours System - Military Decorations and Medals

Military Decorations and Medals

The colonial military forces received British military decorations in wartime. From 1894, the colonial governments awarded medals for distinguished conduct and for long service. This was the general practice in the British Empire at that time.

This system was continued by the Union Defence Forces, which replaced the colonial forces in 1912. British decorations for gallantry and distinguished service, including the Victoria Cross, were awarded during World War I and World War II.

In 1920, the government established a special series of awards for veterans who had fought in the Boer forces during the 1899–1902 Anglo-Boer War.

South Africa introduced its own honours system in 1952. Its largest component was a series of military decorations and medals, which not only replaced the existing long service medals, but provided substitutes for the decorations which the British government had awarded in wartime. The highest award was the Castle of Good Hope Decoration (1952–2003), which was the equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

A new system of awards was introduced in 1975. It retained seven of the existing decorations and medals. Innovations included a hierarchy of merit awards, cumulative long service medals, and colour-coded ribbons. As the South African Defence Force was engaged in military operations in South West Africa and Angola throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the number of awards granted each year increased significantly. Additional decorations were instituted between 1987 and 1991.

These awards were continued by the South African National Defence Force. which was established when South Africa was reconstituted in 1994. In 1996, following the precedent set in 1920, decorations and medals were established for veterans of the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe who had fought in the liberation struggle between 1961 and 1994.

The current series of military decorations and medals was established in 2003. It is considerably smaller than the previous system, consisting of three decorations for bravery - the Nkwe ya Gauta (NG) being the highest - three for meritorious service, a campaign medal, a long service medal, and two emblems.