Order for Meritorious Service


The Order for Meritorious Service is a South African National Order that consisted of two classes, in gold and silver, and was awarded to deserving South African citizens. The order was discontinued on 2 December 2002.

Institution

The Order for Meritorious Service was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1986, by Warrant published in Government Gazette no. 10493 dated 24 October 1986. It superseded the earlier Decoration for Meritorious Services. The order could be awarded in two classes:
The Order was awarded by the State President and, from 1994, the President, to South Africans who had rendered exceptional public service. Recipients included cabinet ministers, judges, captains of commerce and industry, church leaders, academics, sports stars and prominent figures in the arts and sciences.

Order of wear

The positions of the two classes of the Order for Meritorious Service in the official order of precedence were revised three times after 1986 to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first with the integration process of 1994, again when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory para-military forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again with the institution of new sets of awards in 2002 and 2003.

Order for Meritorious Service, Gold

;Official national order of precedence until 26 April 1994:
;Official national order of precedence from 27 April 1994:
The position of the Order for Meritorious Service, Gold in the South African order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, when new awards were instituted in 1996, 2002 and 2003.

Order for Meritorious Service, Silver

;Official national order of precedence until 26 April 1994:
;Official national order of precedence from 27 April 1994:
The position of the Order for Meritorious Service, Silver in the South African order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, when new awards were instituted in 1996, 2002 and 2003.

Description

Both classes share the same ribbon and are worn around the neck.
;Obverse
The badge of the Order is a white-enamelled gold or silver gable cross that displays the national arms on a shield in the centre of a smaller gold or silver cross paty.
;Reverse
The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms.
;Suspender
The suspender is in the form of the crest of the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms, a lion holding four staves to represent the four provinces of the Union of South Africa, above an outline of an inverted gable.
;Breast star
The breast star consists of the badge of the order superimposed on a four-pointed multi-rayed diagonal star.
;Ribbon
The original ribbon was 35 millimetres wide and in the colours of the 1928 South African flag, with a 6 millimetres wide dark blue band, a 4 millimetres wide white band and a 5½ millimetres wide orange band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 4 millimetres wide white band.
A new ribbon was introduced in 1996, in the colours of the new post-1994 South African flag. It is also 35 millimetres wide with a 2 millimetres wide red band, a 2 millimetres wide white band, a 7½ millimetres wide green band and a 5 millimetres wide yellow band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 2 millimetres wide black band, but with the red band at left replaced by a 2 millimetres wide blue band at right.

Discontinuation

Conferment of the decoration was discontinued in 2003 when a new set of national orders was instituted.

Recipients

The known recipients are listed in the table.
ClassNameYear
GoldAbdurahman, A. 2003
SilverBaard. Frances 2003
GoldBiko, Stephen Bantu 2003
SilverBizos, George1999
SilverBoonzaier, Gregoire Johannes2003
SilverBrownell, Frederick Gordon2000
GoldCadman, Radclyffe Macbeth1987
GoldDadoo, Yusuf Mohamed 2003
GoldDyer, Henry Brooke1998
Gold:af:Hubert du Plessis|du Plessis, Hubert1992
SilverEybers, Elisabeth Françoise2003
GoldFischer, Abram Louis 2003
GoldGear, James Henderson Sutherland1989
SilverGwanga, J.2003
GoldHurIey, Denis Eugene2003
SilverIbrahim, A.2003
GoldJoseph, Helen Beatrice 2003
GoldKathrada, Ahmed Mohamed2003
SilverKhuzwayo, E.2003
GoldKies, B. 2003
GoldKlaaste, Aggrey Zola2003
GoldKotane, Moses Mauane 2003
SilverMafikeng, E. 2003
SilverMagubane, Peter1999
SilverMakeba, Zenzile Miriam2003
GoldMalan, Magnus André de Merindolc. 1987
GoldMangeni, M.A.2003
GoldMarks, J.B. 2003
SilverMasekela, Hugh Ramopolo2003
SilverMatomela, F. 2003
SilverMatshikiza, Todd Tozama 2003
GoldMbeki, Mvuyelwa Govan Archibald2003
SilverMbeki, Zanele2003
SilverMeer, Fatima2003
GoldMhlaba. Raymond2003
GoldMkwayi, Wilton2003
SilverMntwana, Ida Flyo 2003
SilverMolale, Kate 2003
SilverMoloi, L.S.L.N.2003
SilverMompati, Ruth Segomotsi2003
GoldMotlana, Nthato Harrison2003
GoldMotsoaledi, Mathope Elias 2003
SilverMpetha, Oscar 2003
GoldNgoyi, Lillian Masediba 2003
GoldNokwe, Philemon Pearce Dumasile 2003
SilverNyembe, Dorothy 2003
GoldOppenheimer, Harry Frederick2003
GoldRupert, Anthony Edward2003
SilverSchoeman, Karel2003
GoldSchwarz, Harry Heinz1988
SilverSeptember, H. 2003
SilverShope, Gertrude2003
SilverSimons, Rachel Alexandrovich2003
GoldSisulu, Nontsikelelo Albertina2003
GoldSobukwe, Robert Mangaliso 2003
GoldSuzman, Helen1997
SilverTamane, D. 2003
GoldTiro, O.A. 2003
SilverTshabalala-Msimang, Manto2003
GoldTutu, Desmond Mpilo1999
Silvervan der Merwe, S.S.2003
GoldVenter, William Peter1991
SilverWilliams-de Bruyn, Sophia Theresa2003
GoldSmith, Margaret Mary1987

Note: denotes a posthumous award.