Retired KwaZulu-Natal judge president Achmat Naeem Jappie died on 22 April 2026 in a Durban hospital after a short illness. He also served in the Labour Appeal Court and as an acting judge in the Constitutional Court. Chief Justice Mandisa Maya expressed deep sadness at his passing.
Achmat Naeem Jappie, 70, was the retired judge president of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court. He was appointed to the bench in 1998, served in the Labour Appeal Court, and held acting appointments in the Constitutional Court in 2015. Later that year, he became judge president of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court.
Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, on behalf of the South African Judiciary, expressed deep sadness at his passing, describing him as a distinguished jurist who served with honour and integrity. "Justice Jappie was a longstanding champion of justice in our nation through his rich…," President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Twitter. The judiciary extended condolences to his family, friends, and former colleagues.
Among his key roles, Jappie chaired judicial conduct tribunals in cases involving judges Nkola Motata and Tintswalo Nana Makhubele, finding gross misconduct. He retired in 2022 after nearly 25 years on the bench. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Colleagues remembered him as down-to-earth, serious in argument, and exacting in preparation, but with humour. Senior attorney Ravi Moodley, who appeared before him, said: “He was very much a down-to-earth person. I was at ease in requesting his guidance, which he readily gave.”
