President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a Special Official Funeral Category 2 for Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Eunice Mokgohloa, who died last week aged 65 after a distinguished legal career spanning more than three decades.

Mokgohloa died on 20 August 2026. Her funeral service will be held at 07h30 on Saturday at Hillsong Church in Wonderboom, Pretoria, before she is laid to rest in the capital.

The Presidency said the Special Official Funeral Category 2 would include ceremonial elements provided by the South African Police Service.

The National Flag has also been ordered to fly at half-mast at all flag stations until Saturday evening.

Ramaphosa described Mokgohloa as a judge who served the nation and judiciary with distinction, integrity and dedication over two decades.

“Judge Mokgohloa has left us at the pinnacle of her commitment to the rule of law and the administration of our courts,” Ramaphosa said.

He paid tribute to her contribution to South African jurisprudence and her judicial leadership, saying her legacy was reflected in the landmark judgments she delivered.

Mokgohloa was born in Pretoria on 1 June 1961 and obtained a B Juris degree from the University of the North West in 1987 before completing an LLB in 1990.

She began her legal career as a candidate attorney at Tshegofatso Monama Attorneys between 1990 and 1993. She then joined Hack Stupel & Ross Attorneys, where she worked as a professional assistant before becoming a partner.

In January 2000, she became a partner at her own firm, Mokgohloa Attorneys, marking a significant step in a career that would eventually take her from private legal practice to the highest levels of the judiciary.

Mokgohloa later moved into the magistracy, serving in acting regional and district magistrate positions between 2001 and 2006, including at Bafokeng, Brits and Odi.

Her judicial career began with appointments as an acting judge in the Northern Cape Division and KwaZulu Natal Division between 2006 and 2008.

She was permanently appointed as a judge of the KwaZulu Natal Division in November 2008, where she served until moving to the Limpopo Division in January 2016.

In July 2016, she was appointed Deputy Judge President of the Limpopo Division of the High Court. President Jacob Zuma announced her appointment on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission.

Mokgohloa also served as an acting judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal on several occasions between 2017 and 2019 before being appointed a Judge of Appeal with effect from 1 June 2019.

Her elevation to the country’s highest appellate court followed years of experience across the magistracy, High Court and appellate judiciary.

At the Supreme Court of Appeal, Mokgohloa sat on numerous appeals involving important questions of South African law.

Among the published judgments in which she participated was Mbungela and Another v Mkabi and Others, a case concerning customary marriages and the requirements for a valid customary marriage. The judgment dealt with the evolving nature of customary law and confirmed that the handing over of a bride was not necessarily decisive in determining whether a customary marriage was valid.

Her career also reflected the transformation of South Africa’s judiciary, rising from legal practice and the magistracy to leadership in the High Court and ultimately the country’s appellate court.

Ramaphosa said her death represented a loss to the judiciary and the nation.

The President extended his condolences to Mokgohloa’s family, friends and colleagues, saying her contribution to the rule of law would form part of her enduring legacy.

“May her soul rest in peace,” he said.