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Ciskei Defence Medal

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Ciskei Defence Medal
TypeMilitary campaign medal
Awarded forGeneral service
Country Ciskei
Presented bythe President
EligibilityAll Ranks
StatusDiscontinued in 1994
Established1988
Ribbon bar
CDF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear
Next (higher)
SANDF precedence:
Next (lower)
CDF succession:
SANDF succession:

The Ciskei Defence Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of Ciskei in 1988, for award to all ranks for general service.[1][2][3]

The Ciskei Defence Force

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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]

Institution

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The Ciskei Defence Medal was instituted by the President of Ciskei in 1988.[3]

Award criteria

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The medal is a campaign medal which could be awarded to all ranks for general service.[3]

Order of wear

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Since the Ciskei Defence 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.[1]

Ciskei Defence Force until 26 April 1994

Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal Ciskei Defence Medal Independence Medal (Ciskei)

South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994

General Service Medal (South Africa) Ciskei Defence Medal Nkwe Medal

The position of the Ciskei Defence 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, but it remained unchanged on both occasions.[1]

Description

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Obverse

The Ciskei Defence Medal is a medallion struck in bronze, 38 millimetres in diameter, displaying a Xhosa shield on a crossed spear and knobkierie between two sprays of leaves.[3][7]

Reverse

The reverse displays the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Ciskei, with the inscriptions "IMBASA YOMKHOSI" above and "DEFENCE MEDAL" below.[3]

Ribbon

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 10 millimetres wide blue band and a 4 millimetres wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 4 millimetres wide black band in the centre.[7]

Discontinuation

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Conferment of the Ciskei Defence Medal was discontinued when the Republic of Ciskei ceased to exist on 27 April 1994.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Ciskei Defence Force (CDF)". Archived from the original on 16 September 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2014.