A farewell function to honour Judge President Ephraim Makgoba
Makgoba says he is ready to retire after a period of long service and expressed his gratitude towards all the role players who made his career a success.
LIMPOPO – The first appointed judge president of the Limpopo High Court, Judge President Ephraim Makgoba, says he is ready to retire after a period of long service.
On Saturday, the Limpopo Society of Advocates in collaboration with the Black Lawyers Association, National Association of Democratic Lawyers, Polokwane Legal Practitioners Association and South African Women Lawyers Association hosted a farewell function in his honour at Meropa Casino and Entertainment World.
The event, graced by Premier Chupu Mathatabatha and directed by advocates Simon Mphahlele and Mokgerwa Makoti was a befitting farewell for the outgoing judge president.
Makgoba was born on January 1, 1953, at Ga-Mathabatha village, some 70km south east of Polokwane near Burgersfort.
Growing up as one of eight siblings, he, like many young boys his age, herded cattle and goats.
He decided to become a lawyer when he was in secondary school.
Over the years, human rights issues were close to his heart.
Makgoba was admitted as an attorney in 1980 after he obtained a B.Proc degree at the then University of the North in 1977, and has since played a huge role in the legal field in Limpopo.
He started to practise as an attorney at the law firm, Henstock and Green in 1980 while lecturing part-time in criminal law at the University of the North.
He moved to Nelspruit and upon his return to Polokwane, he practised as an attorney from 1984 to 1992 after which he worked for Makgoba Kgomo and Makgeleng Attorneys from 1993 to 2007.
He was also an instructor in professional ethics, magistrate’s courts and high court practice at the School for Legal Practice in Polokwane from 1998 to 2007.
Makgoba acted as judge of the high court from 2000 to 2007 and was appointed judge of the high court from 2008.
In 2015, he was appointed acting judge of the competitions appeal court and his nomination as judge president of Limpopo was officially signed by former president Jacob Zuma.
He contributed to community work in various aspects, ranging from chairing the Great North Football Association Disciplinary Committee, chairing the revision court for the first Polokwane Municipality elections, chairing the valuation board of the Polokwane Municipality and being deputy chair of the Louis Trichardt Municipality’s valuation board.
He is married to Dorah Ramadimetja and they have three children.
At the function, he expressed his gratitude towards all the role players.
“I would like to thank my family, and each and every one who made it to the function. I appreciate everyone for taking time in their extremely busy schedules to come and celebrate it with me this evening.”
