SCA judge Mokgohloa dies at 65 after long illness

Chief justice Mandisa Maya, on behalf of the judiciary, has expressed profound sadness at the passing of Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judge Fikile Eunice Mokgohloa, following a long illness.

Maya said Mokgohloa’s passing was a profound loss to the judiciary, the legal profession and the people of South Africa.

Mokgohloa leaves behind a distinguished judicial legacy marked by intellectual rigour, diligence, independence and an unwavering commitment to the administration of justice.

Mokgohloa was born in Pretoria on June 1 1961. She obtained her B Juris and LLB degrees from the University of the North-West in 1987 and 1990, respectively.

She entered the legal profession as a candidate attorney in 1990 and thereafter practised as an attorney, including as a partner in private practice.

Mokgohloa started her judicial mentorship at the Northern Cape Division, Kimberley high court in 2006. In 2007, she was appointed as acting judge in the same court.

Later, she was appointed as a judge of the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the high court in November 2008. She later served in the Limpopo Division and was appointed deputy judge president of that division in 2016.

During this period, she also served in an acting capacity in the SCA, where she gained further experience at the appellate level.

In June 2019, Mokgohloa was appointed to the SCA by the president, following a recommendation by the Judicial Service Commission.

At the SCA, Mokgohloa made a substantial contribution to South African jurisprudence. Her judgments reflected careful engagement with the law, the facts and the constitutional principles that underpin the administration of justice.

Among the matters in which she participated were cases concerning constitutional and administrative law, traditional leadership, criminal justice, commercial disputes, the enforcement of legal rights and the wide spectrum of legal issues that are routinely adjudicated by that court.

She contributed to the leadership of the court and acted as the deputy president of the SCA in 2024.

“The judiciary has lost a valued colleague and an accomplished jurist. Justice Mokgohloa served with dignity, discipline and a deep sense of responsibility to the law,” Maya said.

“Her judicial record stands as part of the enduring contribution she made to the development of South African law,” Maya said.

The Office of the Chief Justice said further details regarding memorial and funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course, in consultation with the family.