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South Africa Joint Support Division

image by Martin Grieve, 13 Jan 2004

South Africa Joint Support Division flag (2003 - )

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South African Joint Support Division flag (2003 -)

At a Retreat ceremony held on Friday 25 April 2003, the old South Africa National Defence Force (SANDF) emblem, based on the Cape Castle outline, was formally phased out. The old SANDF flag was lowered at the South African Air Force Gymnasium Parade Ground at 18h00. The new SANDF emblem and flags were presented at a parade presided over by the Chief of the South African National Defence Force, General Siphiwe Nyanda, on 29 April 2003 at Defence Force Headquarters at Thaba Tshwane (formerly Voortrekkerhoogte).

The change is another milestone in the transformation process in the SANDF and sees the replacement of the Cape Castle outline with a new emblem. The new SANDF emblem incorporates a nine-pointed "Star" representing the warm sun of Africa and the nine provinces of South Africa. The Star outline replaces the Castle outline and is also used in divisional emblems and flags to reflect a common corporate identity coupled with a unique device for each Division. The four Services retain their respective traditional colours. The emblem also reinforces the idea of military identity, authority and dignity.

The use of the green and gold are the traditional colours used to reflect the corporate identity of the Department of Defence. Green can also be seen as referring to the natural wealth of Africa while gold can be seen as a reference to the mineral wealth as well as nobility and purity.

Apart from the replacement of new emblems, the new SANDF, Air Force, Army and Medical Services flags are identical to their immediate predecessors which have been in use since 11 November 1994 with the exception of the South African Army which adopted a new flag in 2002. The South Africa naval ensign, which did not incorporate the emblem in its post-1994 design, remains unchanged.

In addition to adopting new emblems on 29 April 2003, the SANDF also unveiled three new Divisional flags, namely those of Joint Operations (CJ Ops), Joint Support and Defence Intelligence.

image by Martin Grieve, 13 Jan 2004

The Joint Support Division is a senior division within the SANDF which previously did not have a flag of its own and this anomaly has now been corrected. The new flag of the Joint Support Division has a "national flag green" field with the national flag, fimbriated in white in the canton, and the badge of the division in the fly. The badge comprises a yellow fluted pillar, symbolising support from a variety of disciplines, within a yellow nine-pointed star outline. This flag was officially taken into use for the first time at a Defence Force parade held at Thaba Tshwane on 29 April 2003.
Bruce Berry, 13 Jan 2004