Venda Defence Force Medal

Venda Defence Force Medal
Awarded by the President
Country Venda
Type Military decoration for merit
Eligibility All Ranks
Awarded for Service of a high standard
Status Discontinued in 1994
Statistics
Established 1984
VDF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear
Next (higher)
VDF precedence:
SANDF precedence:
Next (lower)
VDF succession:
SANDF succession:

Ribbon bar

The Venda Defence Force Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of Venda in 1984, for award to all ranks for service of a high standard.[1][2][3]

The Venda Defence Force

The 900 member Venda Defence Force (VDF) was established upon that country's independence on 13 September 1979. It initially consisted of two infantry battalions with one armored personnel carrier and one engineering unit, and an air wing with three helicopters.[4][5]

The Fount of Honour for all Venda's military decorations and medals was the President of Venda.[2][6]

The Republic of Venda ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Venda Defence Force was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The seven constituent military forces were:

Institution

The Venda Defence Force Medal was instituted by the President in 1984 and was awarded to all ranks for service of a high standard.[1][3]

Order of precedence

Since the Venda Defence Force Medal was authorised for wear by one of the statutory forces that 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]

Venda Defence Force until 26 April 1994

South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994

The position of the Venda Defence Force 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 with the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003, but it remained unchanged on both occasions.[1]

Description

Obverse

The Venda Defence Force Medal is a medallion struck in bronze, 38 millimetres in diameter, with an elephant's head above an open wreath.[3][8]

Reverse

The reverse displays the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Venda and, around the perimeter, the words "DEFENCE FORCE MEDAL" at the top and "MENDELE WA MMBI YA VHUPILELI" at the bottom.[9]

Ribbon

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide with a 10 millimetres wide red band, a 2 millimetres wide blue band, a 2 millimetres wide green band, a 4 millimetres wide yellow band, a 2 millimetres wide green band, a 2 millimetres wide blue band and a 10 millimetres wide red band.[8]

Discontinuation

Conferment of the Venda Defence Force Medal was discontinued when the Republic of Venda ceased to exist on 27 April 1994.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, OCLC 72827981
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Republic of Venda Constitution Act, no. 9 of 1979
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 South African Medals Website - TBVC States Defence Forces - Venda Defence Force
  4. ↑ South Africa Homeland Militaries, May 1996
  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. ↑ 7.0 7.1 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. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Venda Defence Force (BDF)
  8. ↑ Venda Defense (sic) Force Medal Full Size Numbered on Rim