After the death of retired judge Vuyelwa Vivienne Tlhapi, the South African Judiciary’s Chief Justice Mandisa Maya has described her colleague as a jurist of solid intellect and impeccable integrity. 

In a statement issued on Friday, Maya said the judiciary mourns the sad and untimely passing of Tlhapi, who was a guiding light.

“Justice Tlhapi was a jurist of solid intellect and impeccable integrity whose life’s work was a great gift to the law and to our nation. Her passing not only marks the loss of a deeply valued judicial officer but is the silencing of a voice that spoke with unwavering moral clarity and deep compassion for many decades.

“Judge Tlhapi’s career was a true example of dedicated and selfless service,” said Maya. 

Tlhapi was also remembered for her meticulously and carefully researched judgments, which would light a path for legal practitioners and scholars into posterity.

Reflecting on her career,  Maya said Tlhapi was appointed as a judge of the Gauteng Division of the High Court in 2010, following years of sterling legal service to the country as a magistrate, an attorney, a commissioner of the Electoral Commission of SA, and as an administrator for the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration. 

“She served as a judge with utmost distinction until her retirement, using the law as a powerful instrument for social good and wielding it with empathy, wisdom, and courage.

“Her unwavering commitment to fairness, her fierce protection of the rights of the marginalised, and her deep respect for the Constitution cemented her role as a true champion of justice,” said Maya.

She added that the judiciary has lost a giant with Tlhapi’s passing, adding that as a leader, Tlhapi combined formidable stature with immense personal grace and empathy, ensuring that every person who entered her courtroom felt their dignity was respected.

 chevon.booysen@inl.co.za

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