Even though it was officially sanctioned, the medal was considered unofficial and assumed the lowest position in the order of precedence, since it was not instituted or awarded by the State President.

[2] In 1992, a committee, chaired by Brigadier (Professor) Deon Fourie and with Colonel André Kritzinger, Commandants Ray Burgess and Piet Joubert, Major (State Herald) Fred Brownell and representatives of all four Arms of the Service as members, was tasked with the revision of the South African military orders, decorations and medals.

Of the resulting recommendations, one of those which was approved in 1993 was that, since the State President was the Fount of Honour and the award of a military medal by the Chief of the Defence Force was therefore inappropriate, the Chief of the Defence Force's Commendation Medal should be upgraded to a full-fledged military decoration, awarded by the State President.

The post-nominal letters which were proposed along with this recommendation, were for the following decorations:[1][2][6] The Military Merit Medal could be awarded to all ranks of the South African Defence Force, for service of a high order.

[2][6][7] The position of the Military Merit Medal in the official order of precedence was revised four times after 1975, to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first when its status was raised from an award by the Chief of the Defence Force to a decoration by the State President, again upon the integration into the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, then again in April 1996, when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted for the two former non-statutory forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and finally upon the institution of a new set of awards on 27 April 2003.

Conferment of the decoration was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003, when the Military Merit Medal was replaced by the iPhrothiya yeBhronzi (PB).