Legal practitioners have gathered at Mmabatho Palms in the North West to find ways to develop a scholarly work, such as a book or an article, to honour the late former Constitutional Court Judge Yvonne Mokgoro.
Law academics, judges, and lawyers, among others, say they will do this to remember Mokgoro as the first black woman to become a judge and who was bold enough to advocate for African values.
Mokgoro died in May at the age of 73.
She was described as a person who had a profound jurisprudential legacy and was a focused pioneer who integrated Ubuntu into South African constitutional law.
The colloquium that started on Thursday is in partnership with the University of Fort Hare and the North West University.
The event was held after the University of Fort Hare received a request from the then deputy chief justice and now Chief Justice Mandisa Maya to hold an event in honour of Mokgoro.
A symbol of possibility and representation
Giving a keynote address, Land Court Judge Luleka Flatela said Mokgoro’s application of Ubuntu redefined the legal landscape, offering a more inclusive and empathetic interpretation of justice that challenged the historically rigid and adversarial nature of South African law rooted in Dutch legal traditions.
She said Mokgoro’s career was a monumental achievement that broke barriers for all African women aspiring to become judges.
“Her journey [goes back from when she was] working as a shop assistant, a nursing assistant, a clerk in the department of justice in the former Bophuthatswana, a public prosecutor, and a maintenance officer.
“An academic, as a professor of law without a traditional background in legal practice, defied expectations and paved the way in a domain dominated by white males.”
Flatela said Mokgoro’s appointment sent a powerful message to indigenous African women like herself.
“Our dreams were valid and attainable. She became a symbol of possibility and representation, proving that it was possible to break through the barriers that once seemed insurmountable.
“I argue that Mokgoro’s jurisprudence embodied a distinct form of African legal thought, making Ubuntu a central tenet of her judgments.”
Contribution to Ubuntu
Others said Mokgoro treated everyone with dignity and that her presence served as a silent mentor and source of inspiration for many who aspired to follow in her footsteps.
Mokgoro had to overcome obstacles and find a way to become the first female justice of the Constitutional Court, according to Professor Mzukisi Njotini, the dean of the faculty of law at the University of Fort Hare.
“This is our thank you as the academic profession to say this is how we want justice Mokgoro to be remembered,” said Njotini.
“Her contribution to Ubuntu is very vast. She validated the essence of Ubuntu as a value.
“She was steadfast; all she did was dedicate her life to bringing about social justice and humanity; in all her writings, most of them she talks about humans.”
The event is expected to conclude on Friday.
