Independence Medal

• Name — Independence Medal • Presenter — the State President • Country — Bophuthatswana • Type — Military commemorative medal • Eligibility — All ranks • Awarded For — Commemoration of the independence of Bophuthatswana • Status — Discontinued in 1977 • Established — 1977 • Precedence Label — BDF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear • Higher — * BDF precedence: • General Service Medal • SANDF precedence: • Independence Medal • Lower — * BDF succession: • Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold • SANDF succession: • Independence Medal • Image2 — * Illustration — x29px • Caption2 — Ribbon bar

The Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF) was established upon that country's independence on 6 December 1977. The Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Bophuthatswana Defence Force was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

The Independence Medal was instituted by the State President of Bophuthatswana to commemorate the independence of the Republic of Bophuthatswana on 6 December 1977.

Since the Independence Medal was authorised for wear by one of the statutory forces which came to be part of the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date. • Bophuthatswana Defence Force until 26 April 1994: • Illustration — General Service Medal (Bophuthatswana) • Illustration — Independence Medal (Bophuthatswana) • Illustration — Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold • Official BDF order of precedence: • Preceded by the General Service Medal. • Succeeded by the Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, Gold. • Bophuthatswana official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the General Service Medal. • Succeeded by the Independence Police Medal. • South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994: • Illustration — Independence Medal (Transkei) • Illustration — Independence Medal (Bophuthatswana) • Illustration — Independence Medal (Venda) • Official SANDF order of precedence: • Preceded by the Independence Medal of the Republic of Transkei. • Succeeded by the Independence Medal of the Republic of Venda. • Official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the Independence Medal of the Republic of Transkei. • Succeeded by the Independence Police Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. The position of the Independence Medal in the order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003.

Conferment of the Independence Medal was discontinued in 1977.