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

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

Main article: South African military decorations order of wear § 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]

Ciskei Defence Force until 26 April 1994

Pro Merito Decoration (PMD) Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal Ciskei Defence Medal

South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994

Transkei Defence Force Medal Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal Korea Medal

South African National Defence Force from April 1996

Merit Medal in Bronze (MMB) Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal Korea Medal

South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003

iPhrothiya yeBhronzi (PB) Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal Korea Medal

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]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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 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)
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