imported>Situle: /* Recipients */

2024-08-02T12:51:56Z

Recipients

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{{Short description|South African civilian award}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{Use South African English|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox military award
| name = Order for Meritorious Service
| image = Order for Meritorious Service, Gold.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption = Order for Meritorious Service, Gold
| presenter = the State President and, from 1994, the President
| country = {{flagicon|South Africa|1928}} {{flag|South Africa|1994}}
| type = Civil [[Order (decoration)|National Order]]
| eligibility = South African citizens
| awarded_for = Exceptional public service
| campaign =
| status = Discontinued in 2003
| description =
| motto =
| clasps =
| post-nominals = Gold - OMSG<br>Silver - OMSS
| established = 1986
| firstawarded =
| lastawarded = 2002
| total_awarded =
| total_awarded_posthumously =
| total_recipients =
| precedence_label = Pre-1994 & post-2002 orders of wear
| individual =
| higher = {{plainlist|'''Order for Meritorious Service, Gold, Pre-1994 precedence:'''
*[[File:Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg|25px]] [[Star of South Africa, Gold]]'' and ''[[Star of South Africa, Grand Cross]]
}}
{{plainlist|'''Post-2002 precedence:'''
*[[File:Flag of Venda (1973–1994).svg|25px]] Order of Thohoyandou, Special Class, Grand Cross
}}
{{plainlist|'''Order for Meritorious Service, Silver, Pre-1994 precedence:'''
*[[File:Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg|25px]] [[Star of South Africa, Silver]]'' and ''Star of South Africa, Grand Officer
}}
{{plainlist|'''Post-2002 precedence:'''
*[[File:Flag of Ciskei.svg|25px]] Order of Indwe, Class I
}}
| same =
| lower = {{plainlist|'''Order for Meritorious Service, Gold, Pre-1994 succession:'''
*[[File:Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg|25px]] [[Order of Good Hope]], Class I, Grand Collar/Grand Cross
}}
{{plainlist|'''Post-2002 succession:'''
*[[File:Flag of Transkei.svg|25px]] Order of Transkei, Class I, Grand Cross
}}
{{plainlist|'''Order for Meritorious Service, Silver, Pre-1994 succession:'''
*[[File:Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg|25px]] [[Order of Good Hope]], Class II, Grand Officer, Silver
}}
{{plainlist|'''Post-2002 succession:'''
*[[File:Flag of Transkei.svg|25px]] Order of Transkei, Class II, Grand Officer
}}
| related =
| image2 = [[File:Order for Meritorious Service (RSA) - ribbon bar.gif|x29px]] [[File:Ribbon - Order for Meritorious Service 1996.png|x29px]]
| caption2 = 1986 and 1996 ribbon bars}}

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.<ref name="RSACivil">[http://www.geocities.ws/militaf/civ67.htm South African Medal Website - Republic of South Africa: 1967-2002] (Accessed 1 May 2015)</ref>

==Institution==
The Order for Meritorious Service was instituted by the [[South Africa|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 for Meritorious Service, Class I, Gold, post-nominal letters OMSG, for exceptional merit.
* The Order for Meritorious Service, Class II, Silver, post-nominal letters OMSS, for outstanding merit.<ref name="RSACivil"/><ref name="PostNominals"/>

==Award criteria==
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.<ref name="RSACivil"/>

==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.<ref name="Gazette 27376"/><ref name="PostNominals">[http://www.geocities.ws/militaf/sapnls.htm#MNO South African Medal Website - Post-nominal Letters] (Accessed 28 April 2015)</ref>

===Order for Meritorious Service, Gold===
;Official national order of precedence until 26 April 1994:
* Preceded by the [[Star of South Africa, Gold]] and [[Star of South Africa, Grand Cross]].
* Succeeded by the [[Order of Good Hope]], Class I, Grand Collar/Grand Cross.<ref name="Gazette 15093">Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993</ref>

;Official national order of precedence from 27 April 1994:
* Preceded by the Order of Thohoyandou, Special Class, Grand Cross of the [[Venda|Republic of Venda]].
* Succeeded by the Order of Transkei, Class I, Grand Cross (GCT) of the [[Transkei|Republic of Transkei]].<ref name="Gazette 27376">Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, {{OCLC|72827981}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Gazette 27376"/>

===Order for Meritorious Service, Silver===
;Official national order of precedence until 26 April 1994:
* Preceded by the [[Star of South Africa, Silver]] and Star of South Africa, Grand Officer.
* Succeeded by the [[Order of Good Hope]], Class II, Grand Officer, Silver.<ref name="Gazette 15093">Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993</ref>

;Official national order of precedence from 27 April 1994:
* Preceded by the Order of Indwe, Class I of the [[Ciskei|Republic of Ciskei]].
* Succeeded by the Order of Transkei, Class II, Grand Officer (GOT) of the [[Transkei|Republic of Transkei]].<ref name="Gazette 27376">Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, {{OCLC|72827981}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Gazette 27376"/>

==Description==
Both classes share the same ribbon and are worn around the neck.<ref name="RSACivil"/>

;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.<ref name="RSACivil"/>

;Reverse
The reverse has the [[Coat of arms of South Africa (1910–2000)|pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms]].

[[File:Order for Meritorious Service, Gold - Breast Star.jpg|thumb|Breast star]]
;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.<ref name="RSACivil"/>

;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.<ref name="RSACivil"/>

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 (approximate widths) 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.<ref name="RSACivil"/>

==Discontinuation==
Conferment of the decoration was discontinued in 2003 when a new set of national orders was instituted.<ref name="RSACivil"/>

==Recipients==
The known recipients are listed in the table.<ref name="Natalia">{{cite web | url=http://natalia.org.za/Files/42/Natalia%2042%20Obituaries%20Cadman%20pp%20108-110.pdf | title=Natalia 42 Obituaries | publisher=Natal Society Foundation | date=2012 | access-date=November 29, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Macmillan">{{cite web|url=http://www.panmacmillan.co.za/content/view/66/41/|title=Peter Magubane |publisher=Pan Macmillan}}</ref><ref name="Gazette 24977">Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 24977, Pretoria, 28 February 2003 (Retrieved 2015-02-16)</ref>
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:0.5em auto; font-size:100%;"
!scope="row"; style="background-color: #ACD1E9;"|Class
!scope="row"; style="background-color: #ACD1E9;"|Name
!scope="row"; style="background-color: #ACD1E9;"|Year
|-
|Gold
|[[Abdullah Abdurahman|Abdurahman, A.]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Frances Baard|Baard. Frances]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Steve Biko|Biko, Stephen Bantu]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[George Bizos|Bizos, George]]
|1999
|-
|Silver
|[[Gregoire Boonzaier|Boonzaier, Gregoire Johannes]]
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Frederick Brownell|Brownell, Frederick Gordon]]
|2000
|-
|Gold
|[[Radclyffe Cadman|Cadman, Radclyffe Macbeth]]
|1987 <ref name="Natalia"/>
|-
|Gold
|[[Yusuf Dadoo|Dadoo, Yusuf Mohamed]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Gold
|Dyer, Henry Brooke
|1998
|-
|Gold
|[[Hubert du Plessis|du Plessis, Hubert]]
|1992
|-
|Silver
|[[Elisabeth Françoise Eybers|Eybers, Elisabeth Françoise]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Bram Fischer|Fischer, Abram Louis]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[James Gear|Gear, James Henderson Sutherland]]
|1989
|-
|Silver
|[[Jonas Gwangwa|Gwangwa, J.]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Denis Hurley (bishop)|HurIey, Denis Eugene]]
|2003
|-
|Silver
|Ibrahim, A.
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Helen Joseph|Joseph, Helen Beatrice]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Ahmed Kathrada|Kathrada, Ahmed Mohamed]]
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Ellen Kuzwayo|Kuzwayo, E.]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|Kies, B. {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Aggrey Klaaste|Klaaste, Aggrey Zola]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Moses Kotane|Kotane, Moses Mauane]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|Mafikeng, E. {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Peter Magubane|Magubane, Peter]]
|1999 <ref name="Macmillan"/>
|-
|Silver
|[[Miriam Makeba|Makeba, Zenzile Miriam]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Magnus Malan|Malan, Magnus André de Merindol]]
|c. 1987
|-
|Gold
|[[Andrew Mlangeni|Mangeni, Andrew Mokete]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[J. B. Marks|Marks, J.B.]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Hugh Masekela|Masekela, Hugh Ramopolo]]
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Florence Matomela|Matomela, F.]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Todd Matshikiza|Matshikiza, Todd Tozama]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Govan Mbeki|Mbeki, Mvuyelwa Govan Archibald]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Zanele Dlamini Mbeki|Mbeki, Zanele]]
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Fatima Meer|Meer, Fatima]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Raymond Mhlaba|Mhlaba. Raymond]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Wilton Mkwayi|Mkwayi, Wilton]]
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Ida Mntwana|Mntwana, Ida Flyo]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Kate Molale|Molale, Kate]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|Moloi, L.S.L.N.
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Ruth Mompati|Mompati, Ruth Segomotsi]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Nthato Motlana|Motlana, Nthato Harrison]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Elias Motsoaledi|Motsoaledi, Mathope Elias]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Oscar Mpetha|Mpetha, Oscar]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Lillian Ngoyi|Ngoyi, Lillian Masediba]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Duma Nokwe|Nokwe, Philemon Pearce Dumasile]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Dorothy Nyembe|Nyembe, Dorothy]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Harry Frederick Oppenheimer|Oppenheimer, Harry Frederick]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Anton Rupert|Rupert, Anthony Edward]]
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Karel Schoeman|Schoeman, Karel]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Harry Schwarz|Schwarz, Harry Heinz]]
|1988
|-
|Silver
|September, H. {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Gertrude Shope|Shope, Gertrude]]
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Rachel Simons|Simons, Rachel Alexandrovich]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Albertina Sisulu|Sisulu, Nontsikelelo Albertina]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Robert Sobukwe|Sobukwe, Robert Mangaliso]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Helen Suzman|Suzman, Helen]]
|1997
|-
|Silver
|[[Dora Tamana|Tamana, D.]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Abram Onkgopotse Tiro|Tiro, O.A.]] {{KIA}}
|2003
|-
|Silver
|[[Manto Tshabalala-Msimang|Tshabalala-Msimang, Manto]]
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Desmond Tutu|Tutu, Desmond Mpilo]]
|1999
|-
|Silver
|van der Merwe, S.S.
|2003
|-
|Gold
|[[Bill Venter|Venter, William Peter]]
|1991
|-
|Silver
|[[Sophia Williams-De Bruyn|Williams-de Bruyn, Sophia Theresa]]
|2003
|-
|-
|Gold
|[[Margaret Mary Smith|Smith, Margaret Mary]]
|1987
|}
Note: {{KIA}} denotes a posthumous award.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{South African honours system}}

[[Category:Orders of South Africa]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1986]]
[[Category:1986 establishments in South Africa]]
[[Category:Awards disestablished in 2002]]
[[Category:2002 disestablishments in South Africa]]

Order for Meritorious Service - Revision history

imported>Situle: /* Recipients */