The Gold Service Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army, the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress, for thirty years service.South African Medal Website - Liberation armies (Accessed 30 April 2015)
Azanian People's Liberation Army The Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) was the para-military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). It was established in 1961 to wage an armed "struggle" against the Nationalist government inside South Africa. On 27 April 1994, the Azanian People's Liberation Army was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).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.
Institution The Gold Service Medal was instituted by the President of South Africa in April 1996. It is the senior award of a set of three medals for long service, along with the Silver Service Medal and the Bronze Service Medal.South African Medal Website - Legal aspects - Fount of Honour (Accessed 1 May 2015)
The Azanian People's Liberation Army's military decorations and medals were modelled on those of the South African Defence Force and these three medals are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, the Good Service Medal, Gold, the Good Service Medal, Silver and the Good Service Medal, Bronze.
Award criteria The medal could be awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army for thirty years service.
Order of wear
The position of the Gold Service Medal in the official military and national orders of precedence was revised upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003, but it remained unchanged.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, Presidential Warrant by the President of the Republic of South Africa for the Institution of Honours for Bravery in the South African National Defence Force, Gazette no. 25213 dated 25 July 2003.
Azanian People's Liberation Army
Official APLA order of precedence: Preceded by the South Africa Service Medal. Succeeded by the Silver Service Medal.
South African National Defence Force
Official SANDF order of precedence: Preceded by the Long Service Medal, Gold of the Republic of Venda. Succeeded by the Service Medal in Gold of Umkhonto we Sizwe. Official national order of precedence: Preceded by the Correctional Services Medal for Faithful Service, 30 Years of the KwaZulu Homeland. Succeeded by the Service Medal in Gold of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
Description Obverse The Gold Service Medal is a silver-gilt oval medallion with a raised edge, depicting the Azanian People's Liberation Army emblem.F S MK (sic) Service Medal
Reverse The reverse is smooth and displays the embellished pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms.
Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 4 millimetres wide black band and a 2 millimetres wide yellow band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 20 millimetres wide green band in the centre.
Discontinuation Conferment of the Gold Service Medal was discontinued upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003.
References