Service Medal in Silver

• Name — Service Medal in Silver • Presenter — the President of the RSA • Country — South Africa • Type — Military long service medal • Eligibility — Umkhonto we Sizwe cadres • Awarded For — Twenty years service • Campaign — The "struggle" • Status — Discontinued in 2003 • Established — 1996 • Precedence Label — MK 1996 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear • Higher — * MK precedence: • Service Medal in Gold • SANDF precedence: • Long Service Medal, Silver • Lower — * MK succession: • Service Medal in Bronze • SANDF succession: • Silver Service Medal • Image2 — * Illustration — x29px • Caption2 — Ribbon bar

Umkhonto we Sizwe, abbreviated as MK, "Spear of the Nation" in Zulu, was the para-military wing of the African National Congress (ANC). It was established on 16 December 1961 to wage an armed "struggle" against the Nationalist government inside South Africa. On 27 April 1994, Umkhonto we Sizwe was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

The Service Medal in Silver was instituted by the President of South Africa in April 1996. It is the middle award of a set of three medals for long service, along with the Service Medal in Gold and the Service Medal in Bronze. Umkhonto we Sizwe's military decorations and medals were modelled on those of the South African Defence Force and these three medals are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, the Good Service Medal, Gold, the Good Service Medal, Silver and the Good Service Medal, Bronze.

The position of the Service Medal in Silver 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. • Umkhonto we Sizwe: • Illustration — Service Medal in Gold • Illustration — Service Medal in Silver • Illustration — Service Medal in Bronze • Official MK order of precedence: • Preceded by the Service Medal in Gold. • Succeeded by the Service Medal in Bronze. • South African National Defence Force until 26 April 2003: • Illustration — Long Service Medal, Silver • Illustration — Service Medal in Silver • Illustration — Silver Service Medal • Official SANDF order of precedence: • Preceded by the Long Service Medal, Silver of the Republic of Venda. • Succeeded by the Silver Service Medal of the Azanian People's Liberation Army. • Official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the Police Medal for Merit of the QwaQwa Homeland. • Succeeded by the Silver Service Medal of the Azanian People's Liberation Army.

Conferment of the Service Medal in Silver was discontinued upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003.