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Nkwe ya Selefera

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South African military decoration

Award
Nkwe ya Selefera
Silver Leopard
TypeMilitary decoration for bravery
Awarded forActs of conspicuous bravery during military operations
Country South Africa
Presented bythe President
EligibilityAll ranks
Post-nominalsNS
StatusCurrent
Established27 April 2003
First awarded2003
Ribbon bar
Order of wear
Next (higher) Star for Bravery in Silver
Next (lower) Pro Virtute Decoration

The Nkwe ya Selefera - Silver Leopard, post-nominal letters NS, was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa on 16 April 2003 and came into effect on 27 April 2003. It is South Africa's second highest military decoration for bravery.

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).

Institution

The Nkwe ya Selefera - Silver Leopard, post-nominal letters NS, was instituted by the President of South Africa on 16 April 2003 and came into effect on 27 April 2003. The bilingual title of the decoration is in Sesotho and English. This decoration replaced the Honoris Crux (HC) as South Africa's second highest military decoration for bravery. It is the middle award of a set of three military decorations for bravery, along with the Nkwe ya Gauta - Golden Leopard and the Nkwe ya Boronse - Bronze Leopard.

Award criteria

The Nkwe ya Selefera - Silver Leopard can be awarded to all ranks of the SANDF and of any Auxiliary Service of the SANDF, and of any Armed Forces attached to or serving with or rendering any service to the SANDF, who have distinguished themselves by performing acts of conspicuous bravery on a single occasion or over a period of time during military operations.

Bar to the Nkwe ya Selefera - Silver Leopard

A Bar may be awarded for every subsequent action which would make recipients eligible for the award of the same decoration. The decoration and bar may be awarded posthumously.

Guidelines consisting of appropriate phrases, which may be useful when writing a citation for the award of the Nkwe ya Selefera - Silver Leopard, have been published by the South African Defence Department.

  • Deliberate but daring and conspicuous actions on a single occasion or over a period of time.
  • A dangerous, serious and/or critical situation.
  • A possibility of loss of own life and/or endangered own life for others.
  • Actions contributory to success.
  • Perseverance under trying circumstances.

Order of wear

Main article: South African military decorations order of wear § Order of wear

The position of the Nkwe ya Selefera - Silver Leopard in the official military and national orders of precedence is as follows: Star for Bravery in Silver (SBS) Nkwe ya Selefera (NS) Pro Virtute Decoration (PVD)

Official military order of precedence
Official national order of precedence

Description

Obverse

The Nkwe ya Selefera - Silver Leopard is a five-armed cross pattée, struck in silver, with a diameter of 38 millimetres. The arms of the cross are bordered and the extremities embowed, with each pair of arms of the cross separated by three short rays. In the centre of the obverse is a light blue enamel roundel, 19 millimetres in diameter, with a silver leopard's head.

Bar button and insignia for the Army, Air Force, Navy and Military Health Service
Reverse

The reverse bears, in relief, the coat of arms of South Africa. The decoration is attached to a plain silver suspender, affixed to the upper arm of the decoration. The decoration number is stamped or engraved below the coat of arms.

Ribbon

The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and sky blue, with 6 millimetres wide white edges. The blue represents the feathers of the blue crane, which Xhosa kings used to present to brave warriors.

Bar

The Bar for subsequent conferments of the Nkwe ya Selefera - Silver Leopard is 33 millimetres in length and 5 millimetres wide, struck in silver and embossed in the centre with a replica of the decoration. When only a ribbon bar is worn, a button replica of the decoration, 8 millimetres in diameter and struck in silver, is affixed to the ribbon bar.

Insignia

Award of the decoration for service in active military operations is indicated by distinguishing insignia, which indicate the arm of the service in which the recipient was serving at the time of the action for which the decoration was conferred. The insignia are struck in silver and is worn on the ribbon, above any bars which may have been awarded.

Recipients

In respect of those recipients about whom it is available, the actions they were cited for follow below the table, since inclusion in the table itself is impractical.

Name Rank NS no. Date of action Unit Service
Arm 		Photo
Selvan, Vasudevan Sgt 001 20 Feb 2002 15 Sqn SAAF
Lechoenyo, Solomon Sehularo MMM Lt Col 015 22 Mar 2013 5 SFR SA Army

Note 1:  † denotes a posthumous award.

Actions cited for

  1. Selvan, Vasudevan – Awarded for his action in saving the life of a SANDF Special Forces Officer during Operation FIBRE, while stationed in Bujumbura, Burundi.
  2. Lechoenyo, Solomon Sehularo – Awarded for actions during the Battle of Bangui in the Central African Republic from 22 to 24 March 2013.

References

  1. ^ Presidential Warrant by the President of the Republic of South Africa for the Institution of Honours for Bravery in the South African National Defence Force, Gazette no. 25213 dated 25 July 2003.
  2. ^ South African Medal Website - South African National Defence Force (Accessed 1 May 2015)
  3. ^ South African Medal Website - Post-nominal Letters (Accessed 28 April 2015)
  4. South African Medal Website - SA Defence Force : 1952-1975 (Accessed 30 April 2015)
  5. ^ Nkwe ya Selefera (NS) (Bravery Award Silver)
  6. Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, OCLC 72827981
  7. SANDF Armed Forces Day Parade, 21 February 2014 - Decoration and Medal Recipients, Battle of Bangui
  8. Zuma awards medals to Battle of Bangui soldiers in celebration of Armed Forces Day
  9. The Battle in Bangui: The untold inside story. By Helmoed Heitman.
South African military decorations and medals
Sorted in order of wear per era or 1994 constituent force
South Africa
Pre-Union
until 6 April 1952

1952–1994

Transkei

Bophuthatswana

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Umkhonto
we Sizwe

Azanian People's
Liberation Army
South Africa
From 1994
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