By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has recommended five candidates to fill vacancies in the Western Cape Division of the High Court following interviews held on 16–17 April 2026.
The Western Cape bench has, in recent years, seen the departure of a number of senior judges through retirements, promotions, and the impeachment of a former Judge President. As a result, these appointments will play an important role in shaping the court’s future capacity and leadership.
The JSC interviewed a total of 11 candidates to fill five vacancies during its April 2026 session. The recommended candidates are as follows:
- Mr Rodges (Roy) Deon Barendse
- Adv. Diane Margaret Davis SC
- Ms. Ncumisa Thoko Mayosi
- Adv. Pinda Njokweni
- Ms. Phillipa Susan Van Zyl
The JSC will now advise President Cyril Ramaphosa to confirm these appointments.
Barendse is an Executive Consultant and Director at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr.
His legal career spans more than 36 years and includes two terms as an Acting Judge in the Western Cape Division of the High Court in 2024 and 2025.
As an attorney, he practices in the fields of insurance law and general commercial litigation. During his stints as an Acting Judge, he presided over opposed motions and applications, civil trials, civil appeals, and criminal appeals.
Davis is an Advocate at the Cape Bar.
Born in 1965 in Umtata, Eastern Cape, Diane Margaret Davis matriculated with an A aggregate before attending the University of Cape Town. She obtained her BA in 1985 and an LLB (Magna Cum Laude) in 1987. Following her graduation, she served as a research assistant to Professor Reinhard Zimmerman at the University of Regensburg in Germany, assisting with the seminal work The Law of Obligations. She furthered her studies at the University of Toronto, focusing on administrative law and alternative approaches to legal scholarship.
Davis began her practical legal career in 1989 as a candidate attorney at Mallinick, Ress, Richman and Closenberg Inc. She was admitted as an attorney in 1991 and subsequently as an advocate in 1994, joining the Cape Bar. Over nearly three decades of practice, she specialised in administrative, constitutional, and insolvency law. In 2018, she received her letters patent formally conferring her with Senior Counsel (Silk) status. Notably, she was a key figure in reforming the silk application process, advocating for diversity in the senior ranks and the recognition of a broader range of legal competencies.
Mayosi is an advocate at the Cape Bar.
Ms Mayosi has worked in law for almost two decades, primarily as an advocate with a concentration on administrative and constitutional law. Mayosi also served as Acting Judge of the Western Cape Division of the High Court for several terms between March 2015 to present. In total, she spent approximately 75 weeks on the Western Cape High Court bench. This includes spending all four terms at the Court in 2025.
Njokweni is an experienced attorney and an advocate of the Johannesburg Society of Advocates.
Adv Njokweni has kept chambers at the Island Group of Advocates since 2024. He is now seeking a permanent appointment to the Western Cape Division of the High Court (WCC), where he has served as an acting judge for four terms, presiding over more than 60 cases, including civil and criminal trials, opposed motions, and appeals.
After completing his education, Njokweni completed his articles under prominent judicial figures, including the late Judge NJ Yekiso. Admitted as an attorney in 1997, Njokweni spent over 25 years in private practice, leading several firms and specialising in delictual claims, matrimonial disputes, and administrative law.
In a rare mid-career shift, he underwent pupillage at the age of 51 at the Johannesburg Society of Advocates and was admitted as an advocate in March 2024, joining the Island Group of Advocates in Sandton.
Van Zyl is a seasoned South African advocate of the Cape Bar (since 2001) with extensive experience in administrative, constitutional, and civil law. A qualified legal professional (B.Iuris, LLB, LLM), she has served as an acting judge in the Western Cape High Court for over 60 weeks across 2022-2024, delivering numerous judgments.