By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The partner of the late Justice Yvonne Mokgoro has been criminally charged in connection with a 2023 car crash she was injured in.
Mokgoro suffered multiple injuries in the crash near Kimberley in the Northern Cape in April 2023.
David Melesi is facing charges of reckless and negligent driving.
Mojalefa Senokoatsane, the National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson in the Northern Cape, said Melesi had already appeared in court.
“He is criminally charged and is facing one count of reckless and negligent driving. There is a possibility of amending charges to culpable homicide following the death of the judge.
“The accused will be back in court on the 30th of May.”
Mokgoro died on Thursday at the age of 73 after struggling to recover from the injuries she suffered during the crash.
She was a member of the first Constitutional Court bench and its first black female justice.
She retired from the bench in 2009.
After her retirement, she played important roles in legal and civil society circles.
She chaired the South African Law Reform Commission and served on both Lesotho and Namibia benches.
She was a member of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport, chaired the United Nations Internal Justice Council, and took on the significant responsibility as chairperson of the International Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law.