Former ConCourt Justice Yvonne Mokgoro dies

Former Constitutional Court Justice Yvonne Mokgoro died on Thursday, almost a year after she was involved in a vehicle accident in the Northern Cape. She was 73. She was travelling between Warrenton and Kimberley when her car collided with a truck. News24 reports that the accident subsequently led to further health setbacks. Mokgoro's son, Ithateng, said ‘our family, and the country at large, has lost a principled servant, whose commitment to justice will continue to shape our society’. ‘We remain grateful to all those who supported her over the past difficult months, and we ask them to continue to hold the family in their thoughts and prayers,’ he said. Mokgoro was a member of the first Constitutional Court Bench and its first African female judge. She retired from the Bench in 2009. Following her retirement, she played important roles in legal and civil society circles. She chaired the SA Law Reform Commission and served on both Lesotho and Namibia Benches. The Daily Maverick report that she was a member of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport, chaired the UN Internal Justice Council, and took on the significant responsibility of Chairperson of the International Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law. Mokgoro devoted her time and energy towards nurturing the next generation of lawyers and leaders, both as a board member of the Mandela-Rhodes Trust and through her involvement in teaching worldwide.