Until 1958 the top three South African honours were reserved for conferment by the Queen while the rest were awarded by the Governor-General, but in 1958 the Governor-General was authorised to also award the top three. In 1961 the State President became the Fount of Honour, and in 1994 the President. Civil honours were gradually introduced from May 1967. They were revised in the 1980s and in 1986 a Chancery of Orders was established in the Office of the State President, after 1994 the Presidency, to administer most of them. Most of these honours remained in use after 1994, until an entirely new honours system was introduced in December 2002.
Institution
The military Order of the Star of South Africa, established in 1975 and conferred on general and flag officers in two classes, was named after the first large diamond to be found in South Africa, the Star of South Africa that was found on the banks of the Orange River in 1869 and that sparked the New Rush, leading to the establishment of Kimberley. The order was expanded on 17 October 1978 with the institution of five non-military classes of the Order.
Award criteria
The Star of South Africa, Officer, post-nominal letters OSSA, is the fourth-ranked decoration of these five civil honours. It was bestowed on civilians in defence-related industries and organisations and, from 1988, on general officers of the South African Police, South African Railways Police, South African Prisons Service and South African Intelligence Service for exceptionally meritorious service which made a meaningful contribution to the security and general national interest of South Africa. It was also bestowed on foreign military attachés for excellent meritorious service. The five non-military classes of the Order of the Star of South Africa are:
The Star of South Africa, Officer, post-nominal letters OSSA.
The Star of South Africa, Member, post-nominal letters MSSA.
Order of wear
The position of the Star of South Africa, Officer in the official order of precedence was revised three times after 1978 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 forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again with the institution of a new set of awards in 2002 and 2003. ;Official national order of precedence until 26 April 1994:
Succeeded by the Order of the Leopard of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.
Description
;Obverse The Star of South Africa, Officer is a silver-gilt Maltese cross with the arms in dark blue enamel, with two four-pointed stars superimposed on one another and, together, on the cross. ;Reverse The reverse has the :File:Coat of Arms of South Africa.svg|pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms, with the decoration number usually impressed on the upper arm of the cross and the silver hallmark below the Coat of Arms. ;Ribbon The decoration is worn on the chest on a blue ribbon, 35 millimetres wide, with a 2 millimetres wide white band, an 11½ millimetres wide blue band, a 1 millimetre wide white band and a 2 millimetres wide blue band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 2 millimetres wide orange band in the centre.
Discontinuation
Conferment of the decoration was discontinued on 6 December 2002, when a new set of national orders was instituted.
