Gold Decoration for Merit

• Name — Gold Decoration for Merit • Presenter — the President • Country — South Africa • Type — Military decoration for merit • Eligibility — Azanian People's Liberation Army cadres • Awarded For — Outstanding service and utmost devotion to duty • Campaign — The "struggle" • Status — Discontinued in 2003 • Post Nominals — GDM • Established — 1996 • Precedence Label — APLA 1996 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear • Higher — * APLA precedence: • Star for Conspicuous Leadership • SANDF precedence: • Decoration for Merit in Gold • Lower — * APLA succession: • Silver Medal for Merit • SANDF succession: • iPhrothiya yeGolide • Image2 — * Illustration — x29px • Caption2 — Ribbon bar

The Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) was the para-military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). It was established in 1961 to wage an armed "struggle" against the Nationalist government inside South Africa. On 27 April 1994, the Azanian People's Liberation Army was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

The Gold Decoration for Merit, post-nominal letters GDM, was instituted by the President of South Africa in April 1996. It is the senior award of a set of three decorations for merit, along with the Silver Medal for Merit and the Bronze Medal for Merit. The Azanian People's Liberation Army's military decorations and medals were modelled on those of the South African Defence Force and these three decorations are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, the Southern Cross Decoration and Pro Merito Decoration, the Southern Cross Medal (1975) and Pro Merito Medal (1975), and the Military Merit Medal.

The position of the Gold Decoration for Merit in the official military and national orders of precedence was revised upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003. • Azanian People's Liberation Army: • Illustration — Star for Conspicuous Leadership (SCL) • Illustration — Gold Decoration for Merit (GDM) • Illustration — Silver Medal for Merit (SMM) • Official APLA order of precedence: • Preceded by the Star for Conspicuous Leadership (SCL). • Succeeded by the Silver Medal for Merit (SMM). • South African National Defence Force until 26 April 2003: • Illustration — Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) • Illustration — Gold Decoration for Merit (GDM) • Illustration — Van Riebeeck Medal (VRM) • Official SANDF order of precedence: • Preceded by the Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe. • Succeeded by the Van Riebeeck Medal (VRM) of the Republic of South Africa. • Official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe. • Succeeded by the Order of the Star of South Africa Class IV, Officer (OSSA) of the Republic of South Africa. • South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003: • Illustration — Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) • Illustration — Gold Decoration for Merit (GDM) • Illustration — iPhrothiya yeGolide (PG) • Official SANDF order of precedence: • Preceded by the Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe. • Succeeded by the iPhrothiya yeGolide (PG) of the Republic of South Africa. • Official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe. • Succeeded by the iPhrothiya yeGolide (PG) of the Republic of South Africa.

Conferment of the Gold Decoration for Merit was discontinued upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003.