Late Justice Mokgoro’s strength and resilience lauded

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The family of the late retired Constitutional Court Justice Yvonne Mokgoro have lauded her for her strength and resilience.

Ithateng Mokgoro says even in his mother’s final days, her vigour was evident.

He addressed mourners at Mokgoro’s memorial service at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund venue in Johannesburg.

Mokgoro died last week at the age of 73 following a prolonged stay in hospital after she was involved in a car accident in April last year. She was one of the first black women justices of the Apex Court and served a full 15-year term on the bench.

Ithateng Mogkoro spoke of his mother’s tenacity.

” She suffered greatly for a year. She lay on her bed and we didn’t know what’s going on in her head. We didn’t know if she could see us, could hear us. She couldn’t move but she was there. She breathed. Every now and then she would flicker her eyes and for a year she did that. She held onto life and I think life held onto her, it didn’t want to give her up.”