Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal

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Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal
Chief CDF Commendation Medal.jpg
Awarded by the President
Country Flag of Ciskei.svg Ciskei
TypeMilitary medal for merit
EligibilityAll Ranks
Awarded forService commended by the Chief of the Ciskei Defence Force
StatusDiscontinued in 1994
Statistics
Established1992
CDF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear
Next (higher)
CDF precedence:
  • Flag of Ciskei.svg Pro Merito Decoration
SANDF precedence:
Next (lower)
CDF succession:
SANDF succession:
Ribbon - Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal.png
Ribbon bar

The Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of Ciskei in 1992, for award to all ranks for service commended by the Chief of the Ciskei Defence Force. [1] [2] [3]

Ciskei former bantustan in South Africa

Ciskei was a nominally independent state – a Bantustan – in the south east of South Africa. It covered an area of 7,700 square kilometres (3,000 sq mi), almost entirely surrounded by what was then the Cape Province, and possessed a small coastline along the shore of the Indian Ocean.

Contents

The Ciskei Defence Force

The Ciskei Defence Force (CDF) was established upon that country's independence on 4 December 1981. The Republic of Ciskei ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Ciskei Defence Force was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). [4] [5] [6]

Ciskei Defence Force

The Ciskei Defence Force (CDF) was established during March 1981 from the 141 Battalion of the South African Defence Force (SADF). It was the defence force of the Republic of Ciskei, an independent bantustan during the Apartheid era of South Africa. It functioned as part of the 21 Battalion based near Lenasia, outside Johannesburg.

Institution

The Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal was instituted by the President of Ciskei in 1992. It is the junior award of a set of three decorations for merit, along with the Sandile Decoration and the Sandile Medal. [1] [3]

Sandile Decoration

The Sandile Decoration, post-nominal letters SD, was instituted by the President of the Republic of Ciskei in 1988, for award to all ranks for meritorious service.

Sandile Medal

The Sandile Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of Ciskei in 1988, for award to all ranks for meritorious service.

Ciskei's military decorations and medals were modelled on those of the Republic of South Africa and these three decorations are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, the Southern Cross Decoration and Pro Merito Decoration, the Southern Cross Medal (1975) and Pro Merito Medal (1975), and the Military Merit Medal. [1]

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 of the highest order and utmost devotion to duty.

Pro Merito Decoration

The Pro Merito Decoration, post-nominal letters PMD, is a military decoration for merit which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to other ranks of the South African Defence Force for outstanding service of the highest order and utmost devotion to duty.

Southern Cross Medal (1975)

The Southern Cross Medal of 1975, post-nominal letters SM, is a military decoration which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to officers of the South African Defence Force for exceptionally meritorious service and particular devotion to duty.

Award criteria

The medal could be awarded to all ranks for service commended by the Chief of the Ciskei Defence Force. [1] [3]

Order of wear

Since the Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal was authorised for wear by one of the statutory forces which came to be part of the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date. The position of the Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal 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 and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003. [1]

South African National Defence Force armed forces of South Africa

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The commander 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 Defence and Military Veterans of the Defence Department.

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.

Umkhonto we Sizwe military organization

Umkhonto we Sizwe was the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC), co-founded by Nelson Mandela in the wake of the Sharpeville massacre. Its mission was to fight against the South African government.

Ciskei Defence Force until 26 April 1994

Ribbon - Pro Merito Decoration (Ciskei).png Ribbon - Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal.png Ribbon - Ciskei Defence Medal.png

South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994

Rbn TDF Medal.GIF Ribbon - Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal.png KMlint.gif

South African National Defence Force from April 1996

Ribbon - Merit Medal in Bronze.png Ribbon - Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal.png KMlint.gif

South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003

PBlint.gif Ribbon - Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal.png KMlint.gif

Description

Obverse

The Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal is a medallion struck in bronze, 38 millimetres in diameter, displaying the eagle emblem of the Ciskei Defence Force framed inside a double circle, which is inscribed "CHIEF C.D.F." at the top and "COMMENDATION" below. [3] [7]

Ribbon

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 5 millimetres wide green band, a 2 millimetres wide red band, a 5 millimetres wide yellow band and a 3 millimetres wide light blue band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 2 millimetres wide white band in the centre. [7]

Discontinuation

Conferment of the Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal was discontinued when the Republic of Ciskei ceased to exist on 27 April 1994. [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, OCLC   72827981
  2. ↑ Republic of Ciskei Constitution Act, no. 20 of 1981
  3. 1 2 3 4 South African Medals Website - Ciskei Defence Force (Accessed 30 April 2015)
  4. ↑ South Africa Homeland Militaries, May 1996 (Accessed 1 May 2015)
  5. ↑ Peled, Alon (1998), A Question of Loyalty: Military Manpower Policy in Multiethnic States , Cornell Studies in Security Affairs, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, pp. 50f, ISBN   0-8014-3239-1
  6. 1 2 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.
  7. 1 2 Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Ciskei Defence Force (CDF)
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