20 May 2003: No 29/03

The President has been pleased to institute new decorations and medals for award to Officers and Other Ranks of the SANDF, to any auxiliaries of the SANDF and, in prescribed circumstances, to foreign military personnel.

The new honours were instituted on 27 April 2003. Recommendations for actions on or after 27 April 2003 shall be for the new honours.

Applications for decorations and medals for long service and good conduct completed on of before 26 April 2003 shall continue to be submitted until all personnel have been dealt with.

The existing honours will continue to be worn in the order prescribed in the List of Precedence published by the Presidency from time to time.

Applications for the award of long service and good conduct awards already completed up to 26 April 2003 must be submitted without delay once members have become eligible. The new decorations are described in the following paragraphs:

Decorations for bravery are Nkwe ya Gauta (NG), Nkwe ya Selefera (NS) and Nkwe ya Boronse (NB) (the Golden Leopard, the Silver Leopard and the Bronze Leopard), which shall be awarded for bravery in military operations in the place of the Castle of Good Hope Decoration, the Honoris Crux (Silver) and the Honoris Crux.

The award of the latter three honours were discontinued from 27 April 2003. Distinctive bars to be worn on the ribbon of the decoration mark subsequent awards.

Decorations for leadership, meritorious conduct or devotion to duty are iPhrothiya yeGolide (PG), iPhrothiya yeSiliva (PS) and iPhrothiya yeBhronzi (PB) (the Golden Protea, the Silver Protea and the Bronze Protea), which shall be awarded instead of the Southern Cross Decoration, the Southern Cross Medal and the Military Merit Medal. Again, distinction bars to be worn on the ribbon mark further awards of the same decoration.

For actions demanding not quite the exceptional levels of achievement required for the decorations, there is the practice of mentioning individually by name deserving members of the SANDF in the dispatches sent by Service Commanders via the Human Resource Support Centre, Section Honours and Awards, during or after campaigns or operations.