Johannesburg – Justice Fikile Eunice Mokgohloa, Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), has passed away following a long illness.
Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, on behalf of the Judiciary, on Thursday, 20 August 2026, expressed “profound sadness at the passing of Justice Fikile Eunice Mokgohlo”.
She added: “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.
“Her passing is a painful loss to all of us who had the privilege of knowing and working with her.
“Her judicial record stands as part of the enduring contribution she made to the development of South African law.”
Justice Mokgohloa’s passing is a profound loss to the Judiciary, the legal profession and the people of South Africa.
She leaves behind a distinguished judicial legacy marked by intellectual rigour, diligence, independence and an unwavering commitment to the administration of justice.
Justice Mokgohloa was born in Pretoria on 1 June 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.
Justice Mokgohloa started her judicial mentorship at the Northern Cape Division, Kimberley High Court in 2006. She was later (in 2007) appointed as Acting Judge in the same court.
Later on, 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 Supreme Court of Appeal, where she gained further experience at the appellate level.
In June 2019, Justice Mokgohloa was appointed to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) by the President, following a recommendation by the Judicial Service Commission.
Her appointment was part of an important period of renewal and transformation of the appellate Bench.
At the SCA, Justice 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 (Supreme Court) and acted as the Deputy President of the SCA in 2024.
The Chief Justice extended her deepest condolences to Justice Mokgohloa’s family, friends, colleagues and all those who worked with her throughout her distinguished career.
She said at this time of profound grief, the Judiciary stands with Justice Mokgohloa’s family and honours the life and service of a judicial officer who devoted many years to the pursuit of justice.
Further details regarding memorial and funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course, in consultation with the family.
