Order of Good Hope

The Order of Good Hope or Order of the Cape of Good Hope is a dormant order of merit of the Republic of South Africa.

Order of Good Hope
Grand Officer set of the Order of Good Hope
Awarded by  South Africa
TypeOrder
MottoSpes Bona (Latin, "Good Hope")
Awarded forForeigners for promoting international relations and the interests of South Africa. Between 1980 and 1988 it was also awarded to South African citizens.
StatusDormant
GradesGrand Cross
Grand Officer
Commander
Officer
Member (88-02)
Former gradesGrand Collar (73-88)
Statistics
First induction1973
Last induction2000

Ribbon bar of the order

History

The Order of Good Hope was founded in 1973, by the republican government of South Africa, to grant those who had distinguished themselves in the promotion of international relationships and to have sensibilised the general interest towards South Africa. It was abolished in 2002.

President Nelson Mandela had announced his intention to reform the Order. The new South African government saw the Order as a relic of apartheid, above all because the insignia was considered too European (the rays, the colours, the anchor and the Latin motto of the Order. The insignia was also costing the government around 11,000 rand per initiate. In its place was created the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo.

Classes

Awarded to foreign citizens (and, from 1980 to 1988, to South Africans too), for promoting international relations with the increasingly isolated apartheid state. The order was originally divided into five classes:[1]

  • Grand Collar for heads of state only.
  • Grand Cross for heads of government, ministers of state, judges, presidents of legislatures, secretaries of state, ambassadors, commanders-in-chief, and others.
  • Grand Officer for legislators, envoys, senior military officers, and others.
  • Commander for chargés d'affaires, consuls-general, colonels, and others.
  • Officer for consuls, lower-ranking military officers, and others.

The order was reorganised in 1988:

  • Grand Cross for excellent meritorious service (heads of state and, in special cases, heads of government).
  • Grand Officer for outstanding meritorious service (heads of government, ministers of state, judges, presidents of legislatures, secretaries of state, ambassadors, commanders-in-chief, and others).
  • Commander for exceptionally meritorious service (legislators, envoys, senior military officers, and others).
  • Officer for meritorious service (chargés d'affaires, consuls-general, colonels, and others).
  • Member for exceptional service (consuls, lower-ranking military officers, and others).

Notable recipients of the Grand-Collar (non-exhaustive list)

Notable recipients of the Grand-Cross (non-exhaustive list)

Sources

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.