The Independence Decoration was a Rhodesian civil decoration awarded to persons who played a notable and significant part in the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965. National motto: Sit Nomine Digna (Latin: May she be worthy of the name) Official language English Capital Salisbury Political system Parliamentary system Form of government Constitutional monarchy (until 1970) Republic (March 2, 1970) - Last President John Wrathall - Prime Minister Ian Smith Area  - Total  - % water 390 580 km² 1% Population  - 1978... A civil decoration is a decoration awarded to civilians for distinguished service. ... A declaration of independence is a proclamation of the independence of a newly formed or reformed independent state from a part or the whole of the territory of another, or a document containing such a declaration. ...

Institution

The award was instituted in 1970 by Presidential Warrant, the first awards being made the same year.

Medal

The medal was a sterling silver circular medal worn on the breast. The obverse bore the arms of Rhodesia and the legend RHODESIA INDEPENDENCE ELEVENTH NOVEMBER 1965, while the reverse was blank. The medal was impressed in small capitals with the recipient's name on the rim, and was awarded with a case of issue, miniature medal for wear, and an illuminated certificate. The ribbon consisted of five equal stripes, green, white, gold, white, green. When the ribbon alone was worn, it bore a green rosette to distinguish it from the Independence Commemorative Decoration. Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92. ...

Recipients

29 awards of the Independence Decoration were made between 1970 and 1979^[1]. Twenty-eight awards were made in November 1970 to Rhodesian Front politicians including P. K. van der Byl, Des Lardner-Burke and the other ten signatories of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence. No further medals were given out until April 1979, when an award was made to Ken Flower, the Head of the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organization. The Rhodesian Front (RF) was a political party in Southern Rhodesia, later known simply as Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe, when the country was under white minority rule. ... P.K. van der Byl, the hard-line Rhodesian Defence Minister - a man calculated to give offence Pieter Kenyon Fleming-Voltelyn van der Byl (November 11, 1923 – November 15, 1999) was a Rhodesian politician who was a close associate of Ian Smith and one of the leading agitators for the... Des Lardner-Burke was a Rhodesian politician. ... The Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) was signed on November 11, 1965 by the white minority government of Ian Smith, whose Rhodesian Front party opposed rushed moves by the United Kingdom towards black majority rule in the then British colony. ... The Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) is the national intelligence agency or secret police of Zimbabwe. ...

Recipients were entitled to the post-nominal letters I.D. Post-nominal letters also called Post-nominal initials or Post-nominal titles are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. ...

Zimbabwe

The Independence Decoration fell into abeyance following Rhodesia's adoption of majority rule in 1980, and the country's change of name to Zimbabwe.

See also

Orders, Medals and Decorations of Zimbabwe

References

1. ^ Rhodesia Medal Roll, p21

• Saffery, D., 2006. The Rhodesia Medal Roll, Jeppestown Press, United Kingdom. ISBN 0-9553936-0-4