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.South African Medal Website - Republic of South Africa: 1967-2002 (Accessed 1 May 2015)

Institution The Order for Meritorious Service was instituted by the 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 It superseded the earlier Decoration for Meritorious Services.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.

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.

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.South African Medal Website - Post-nominal Letters (Accessed 28 April 2015)

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.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993

Official national order of precedence from 27 April 1994 Preceded by the Order of Thohoyandou, Special Class, Grand Cross of the Republic of Venda. Succeeded by the Order of Transkei, Class I, Grand Cross (GCT) of the Republic of Transkei.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005,

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.

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.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993

Official national order of precedence from 27 April 1994 Preceded by the Order of Indwe, Class I of the Republic of Ciskei. Succeeded by the Order of Transkei, Class II, Grand Officer (GOT) of the Republic of Transkei.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005,

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.

Description Both classes share the same ribbon and are worn around the neck.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Discontinuation Conferment of the decoration was discontinued in 2003 when a new set of national orders was instituted.

Recipients The known recipients are listed in the table.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 24977, Pretoria, 28 February 2003 (Retrieved 2015-02-16) ClassNameYearGoldAbdurahman, A. 2003SilverBaard. Frances 2003GoldBiko, Stephen Bantu 2003SilverBizos, George1999SilverBoonzaier, Gregoire Johannes2003SilverBrownell, Frederick Gordon2000GoldCadman, Radclyffe Macbeth1987 GoldDadoo, Yusuf Mohamed 2003GoldDyer, Henry Brooke1998Golddu Plessis, Hubert1992SilverEybers, Elisabeth Françoise2003GoldFischer, Abram Louis 2003GoldGear, James Henderson Sutherland1989SilverGwangwa, J.2003GoldHurIey, Denis Eugene2003SilverIbrahim, A.2003GoldJoseph, Helen Beatrice 2003GoldKathrada, Ahmed Mohamed2003SilverKuzwayo, E.2003GoldKies, B. 2003GoldKlaaste, Aggrey Zola2003GoldKotane, Moses Mauane 2003SilverMafikeng, E. 2003SilverMagubane, Peter1999 SilverMakeba, Zenzile Miriam2003GoldMalan, Magnus André de Merindolc. 1987GoldMangeni, Andrew Mokete2003GoldMarks, J.B. 2003SilverMasekela, Hugh Ramopolo2003SilverMatomela, F. 2003SilverMatshikiza, Todd Tozama 2003GoldMbeki, Mvuyelwa Govan Archibald 2003SilverMbeki, Zanele2003SilverMeer, Fatima2003GoldMhlaba. Raymond2003GoldMkwayi, Wilton2003SilverMntwana, Ida Flyo 2003SilverMolale, Kate 2003SilverMoloi, L.S.L.N.2003SilverMompati, Ruth Segomotsi2003GoldMotlana, Nthato Harrison2003GoldMotsoaledi, Mathope Elias 2003SilverMpetha, Oscar 2003GoldNgoyi, Lillian Masediba 2003GoldNokwe, Philemon Pearce Dumasile 2003SilverNyembe, Dorothy 2003GoldOppenheimer, Harry Frederick2003GoldRupert, Anthony Edward2003SilverSchoeman, Karel2003GoldSchwarz, Harry Heinz1988SilverSeptember, H. 2003SilverShope, Gertrude2003SilverSimons, Rachel Alexandrovich2003GoldSisulu, Nontsikelelo Albertina2003GoldSobukwe, Robert Mangaliso 2003GoldSuzman, Helen1997SilverTamana, D. 2003GoldTiro, O.A. 2003SilverTshabalala-Msimang, Manto2003GoldTutu, Desmond Mpilo1999Silvervan der Merwe, S.S.2003GoldVenter, William Peter1991SilverWilliams-de Bruyn, Sophia Theresa2003GoldSmith, Margaret Mary1987 Note: denotes a posthumous award.

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