De Wet Medal

The De Wet Medal was a military long service medal that was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1987. It was awarded to members of the Commandos, the rural civil defence component of the South African Defence Force, for ten years of efficient service and good conduct.

The South African military
The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994 it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

Orders, decorations and medals
In April 1952 a series of military decorations and medals was instituted, consisting of substitutes for many of the British and Commonwealth awards which had earlier been used. More decorations and medals, as well as an emblem for being mentioned in dispatches, were added between 1953 and 1970. In July 1975 the military decorations and medals of the Republic were revised. Some decorations and medals were carried over from the earlier series of 1952-1975 and new awards were instituted, followed by more between 1987 and 1991. Finally, all but one of these earlier awards were discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003, when a new set of nine decorations and medals was instituted to replace them.

Fount of Honour
Until 1958 the top three awards 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.

Award criteria for the De Wet Medal
The De Wet Medal was instituted in 1987. It was awarded to members of the Commandos, the rural civil defence component of the South African Defence Force, for ten years of efficient service.

Order of precedence
The position of the De Wet Medal in the official order of precedence was revised twice to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first with the integration into the South African National Defence Force in 1994 and again with the institution of a new set of awards in 2003.


 * South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994:
 * Official SADF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Good Service Medal, Bronze.
 * Succeeded by the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots of the United Kingdom.


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the National Intelligence Service Medal for Faithful Service, Bronze.
 * Succeeded by the State President Sport Award.


 * South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:
 * Official SANDF order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Long Service Medal, Bronze of the Republic of Venda.
 * Succeeded by the Faithful Service Medal of the Republic of Transkei.


 * Official national order of precedence:
 * Preceded by the Police Medal for Faithful Service of the KwaNdebele Homeland.
 * Succeeded by the Faithful Service Medal of the Republic of Transkei.

The Queen's Medal for Champion Shots was omitted from the official order of precedence as published in Government Gazette no. 15093 on 3 September 1993, but included again in Government Gazette no. 27376 on 11 March 2005. The position of the De Wet Medal in the order of precedence remained unchanged as it was on 27 April 1994 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 when a new series of military decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003.

Description
The De Wet Medal is a medallion struck in bronze, 38 millimetres in diameter and 3 millimetres thick, depicting Second Boer War General Christiaan de Wet on horseback, surrounded by a wreath of proteas and inscribed "MEDALJE ~ DE WET ~ MEDAL".
 * Obverse

The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms.
 * Reverse

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide with a 4 millimetres wide green band, a 2 millimetres wide white band and a 7 millimetres wide dark blue band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 6 millimetres wide yellow band in the centre.
 * Ribbons

Discontinuation
The conferment of the medal was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003.