The Operational Medal for Southern Africa was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in 1998. It was awarded to veteran cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army for operational service outside South Africa during the "struggle".
Umkhonto we Sizwe, abbreviated as MK, "Spear of the Nation" in Zulu, was the para-military wing of the African National Congress (ANC), while the Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) was the para-military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress. Both were established in 1961 to wage an armed "struggle" against the Nationalist government inside South Africa. On 27 April 1994, Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army were amalgamated with five statutory defence forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
The Operational Medal for Southern Africa was instituted by the President of South Africa in 1998.
The medal could be awarded to veteran cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army for operational service outside South Africa during the "struggle".
The position of the Operational Medal for Southern Africa in the official military and national orders of precedence was revised upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003, but it remained unchanged.
The Operational Medal for Southern Africa is a medallion struck in nickel-silver, 38 millimetres in diameter with a raised rim, and depicts a baobab tree inside a hexagonal frame of chain.
The reverse has a wide raised rim and displays the embellished .
The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 4 millimetres wide red band, an 8 millimetres wide green band and a 1 millimetre wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 6 millimetres wide black band in the centre.
Conferment of the Operational Medal for Southern Africa was discontinued upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003.