President Ramaphosa to Deliver Eulogy for Late Justice Yvonne Mokgoro

Justice Mokgoro had a distinguished legal career, teaching law courses at universities in South Africa, the United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to deliver the eulogy at the funeral of the late retired Constitutional Court Justice Yvonne Mokgoro. The distinguished legal trailblazer will be laid to rest in a Special Official Funeral Category 1 on Thursday, following her passing at the age of 73 earlier this month.

Born in Galeshewe, Kimberley, in the Northern Cape, Justice Mokgoro was a pioneering figure in South African law. She completed her Bachelor of Law Degree (B.luris), Bachelor of Law (LLB), and Masters of Law (LLM) at the University of Bophuthatswana, now North West University. In 1994, she became South Africa’s first black female justice of the Constitutional Court, serving for 15 years.

Justice Mokgoro had a distinguished legal career, teaching law courses at universities in South Africa, the United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. She was a member of several esteemed organizations, including the International Women's Association (Washington DC), the International Association of Women Judges, the International Federation of Women Lawyers, and the South African Women Lawyers Association. In 2006, she was recognized as an icon in the history of Women Lawyers in South Africa.

The Presidency announced that a Special Official Funeral Category 1, featuring ceremonial elements by the South African National Defence Force, will honor her legacy. President Ramaphosa has declared that the national flag be flown at half-mast at all flag stations around the country from Sunday, May 19, 2024, until the evening of the funeral on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

In a statement, the Presidency said, “Justice Mokgoro, during her legal career, taught a number of law courses at universities in South Africa, the United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. She was a member of the International Women's Association (Washington DC), the International Association of Women Judges, the International Federation of Women Lawyers, and the South African Women Lawyers Association. In 2006, she was selected as an icon of the history of Women Lawyers in South Africa.”

The nation mourns the loss of a legal luminary whose contributions have left an indelible mark on South Africa's judicial landscape.