Order of the Baobab
Encyclopedia
The Order of the Baobab is a South Africa
n honour. It was instituted on 6 December 2002, and is granted by the president
of South Africa for service to South Africa in the following fields: (i) business and the economy, (ii) science, medicine and technological innovation, and (iii) community service. Until the Order of Luthuli
and the Order of Ikhamanga
were established in 2004, the Order of the Baobab also covered service in the fields now covered by those orders.
The order has three classes:
The order is named after the baobab
tree, which was chosen as a symbol because of its endurance and tolerance, its vitality, its importance in agro-forestry systems, and its use as a meeting place in traditional African societies.
The badge of the order is a roughly rectangular plaque textured to represent baobab tree bark. In the centre is a baobab tree inside a circle inside a 9-sided green frame on a 9-spoked wheel. The polygons represent the nine provinces, and the many different areas in which people can contribute towards building a prosperous and advancing nation. The South African coat of arms
is displayed on the reverse.
The ribbon is gold, with recurring cream-coloured baobab silhouettes down the centre. All three classes are worn around the neck.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n honour. It was instituted on 6 December 2002, and is granted by the president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of South Africa for service to South Africa in the following fields: (i) business and the economy, (ii) science, medicine and technological innovation, and (iii) community service. Until the Order of Luthuli
Order of Luthuli
The Order of Luthuli is a South African honour. It was instituted on 30 November 2003, and is granted by the president of South Africa, for contributions to South Africa in the following fields: the struggle for democracy, building democracy and human rights, nation-building, justice and...
and the Order of Ikhamanga
Order of Ikhamanga
The Order of Ikhamanga is a South African honour. It was instituted on 30 November 2003 and is granted by the President of South Africa for achievements in arts, culture, literature, music, journalism, and sports...
were established in 2004, the Order of the Baobab also covered service in the fields now covered by those orders.
The order has three classes:
- Supreme Counsellor (SCOB), for exceptional service,
- Grand Counsellor (GCOB), for distinguished service,
- Counsellor (COB), for dedicated service.
The order is named after the baobab
Baobab
Adansonia is a genus of eight species of tree, six native to Madagascar, one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and one to Australia. The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island....
tree, which was chosen as a symbol because of its endurance and tolerance, its vitality, its importance in agro-forestry systems, and its use as a meeting place in traditional African societies.
The badge of the order is a roughly rectangular plaque textured to represent baobab tree bark. In the centre is a baobab tree inside a circle inside a 9-sided green frame on a 9-spoked wheel. The polygons represent the nine provinces, and the many different areas in which people can contribute towards building a prosperous and advancing nation. The South African coat of arms
Coat of arms of South Africa
The present coat of arms of South Africa was introducedon Freedom Day April 27, 2000. It replaced the earlier national arms, which had been in use since 1910. The motto ǃke e: ǀxarra ǁke is written in the Khoisan language of the ǀXam people and translates literally to "diverse people unite"...
is displayed on the reverse.
The ribbon is gold, with recurring cream-coloured baobab silhouettes down the centre. All three classes are worn around the neck.