| Long Service Medal, Silver | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Military long service medal |
| Awarded for | Twenty years exemplary service |
| Country | .svg) Venda |
| Presented by | the President |
| Eligibility | All Ranks |
| Status | Discontinued in 1994 |
| Established | 1985 |
 Ribbon bar | |
| VDF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear | |
| Next (higher) | VDF precedence: SANDF precedence: |
| Next (lower) | VDF succession: SANDF succession: |
TheLong Service Medal, Silver was instituted by the President of theRepublic of Venda in 1985, for award to all ranks for twenty years exemplary service.[1][2]
The 900 member Venda Defence Force (VDF) was established upon that country's independence on 13 September 1979. 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).[3][4][5]
The Long Service Medal, Silver was instituted by the President of Venda in 1985. It is the middle award of a set of three medals for long service, along with theLong Service Medal, Gold and theLong Service Medal, Bronze.[1][6]
Venda's military decorations and medals were modelled on those of the Republic of South Africa and these three medals are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, theGood Service Medal, Gold, theGood Service Medal, Silver and theGood Service Medal, Bronze.[1]
The medal could be awarded to all ranks for twenty years of exemplary service.[1]
Since the Long Service Medal, Silver was authorised for wear by one of the statutory forces which came to be part of theSouth African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date. The position of the Long Service Medal, Silver 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, theAzanian People's Liberation Army andUmkhonto we Sizwe, and again upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003.[1]
The position of the Long Service Medal, Silver remained unchanged, as it was in April 1996, when a new set of honours was instituted on 27 April 2003.[1]
The Long Service Medal, Silver is a medallion struck in silver, 38 millimetres in diameter, depicting theCoat of Arms of the Republic of Venda.[7][8]
The suspender is in the form of a pair of crossed elephant tusks and is different on the full-size and miniature medals. On the full-size medal, the ends of the tusks reach to approximately the eleven o'clock and one o'clock positions on the medallion, while on the miniature medal, as depicted, they reach to approximately the ten o'clock and two o'clock positions on the medallion.[8]
The reverse is inscribed "MENDELE WA VEHNKHXELA YA TSHIFHINGA TENILAFEY MHXWANA YA FUMBILE", the number of years service.[2][8]
The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 4 millimetres wide blue band and a 10 millimetres wide green band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 4 millimetres wide white band.[2][7][8]
Conferment of the Long Service Medal, Silver was discontinued when the Republic of Venda ceased to exist on 27 April 1994.[5]
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