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Foreigners for promoting international relations and the interests of South Africa. Between 1980 and 1988 it was also awarded to South African citizens.
Status
Dormant
Grades
Grand Cross Grand Officer Commander Officer Member (88-02)
Former grades
Grand Collar (73-88)
Statistics
First induction
1973
Last induction
2000
Ribbon bar of the order
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.
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. [citation needed]
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.[citation needed] The insignia was also costing the government around 11,000 rand per initiate.[citation needed] 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)
