SAC-IAWJ

President: Segopotje Sheila Mphahlele
Judge President, Mpumalanga Division of the High Court 

After earning her B Proc in 1991 and LLB in 1993 from the University of Limpopo, she embarked on a legal career that began as a claims-handler at the Road Accident Fund in 1994. She served her articles at Routledge’s Incorporated in Johannesburg in 1995 and in 1996, ceded her articles of clerkship to Lephoko & Ledwaba Attorneys in Pretoria. In June 1998, she was admitted as an Attorney and launched her own legal practice, Mphahlele Attorneys, in September 1999.

While practising as an attorney, she also managed an insolvency practice, namely Merithing Trust cc. She also served on numerous regulatory bodies. These included the Licensing Committee of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), the Companies Tribunal, the Appeals Tribunal of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA), and the Compensation Commission.

She has consistently been an active participant in the legal profession. Her roles have included serving as a member of the Magistrates Commission, Chairperson of the Gauteng Law Council, Deputy President of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces, and a senior examiner in the Attorneys Admission Exams.

She was affiliated with several associations, including the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL), the SA Women Lawyers’ Association (SAWLA), and the Association for the Advancement of Black Insolvency Practitioners (AABIP).

Her commitment to mentorship and training is evident in her involvement in various initiatives. These include providing judicial skills to aspiring judges, Advocacy for Legal Practitioners, and mentoring law students.

She was appointed as a Judge in the Gauteng Division of the High Court in 2013. She later served as the Deputy Judge President of the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court. Currently, she holds the position of Judge President of the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court.

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Vice-President: Anthia Maria Ramos
Regional Magistrate

Ms. Anthia Maria Ramos graduated from the University of the Western Cape in 1996.  She completed a Management Diploma through Unisa in 2004.  She served articles at Legal Aid South Africa (LASA) and was admitted as an Attorney in 2000 while still employed at LASA. In 2003, she was appointed as the Justice Centre Executive for Legal Aid Cape Town until June 2010.

In July 2010 she ascended to the Bench and was appointed as a Magistrate. She was appointed as acting Senior Magistrate for the Kuilsriver Sub Cluster in 2013.  On 1 May 2017, she was permanently appointed as Senior Magistrate and Sub-cluster Head. She acted as a Regional Magistrate in Strand Regional Court from October 2019 until 15 December 2021 and was permanently appointed to this position on 01 May 2023, where she currently serves at Wynberg Regional Court. 

She was a Guest Facilitator for the South African Judicial Education Institute (SAJEI) and has presented seminars on the role of the Presiding Officer in the Children’s Court and Child Justice Court as well as adjudication in the Equality Court. She served as the Western Cape Provincial Coordinator for the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges (SACIAWJ) from 2016-2018 and Assistant Vice President Programmes from 2018-2021.

She then served as the National Secretary from 2021 until August 2023. She has coordinated social outreach projects under the auspices of the SAC-IAWJ, which include mentoring female law students, raising awareness about human trafficking, facilitating family dialogues, providing criminal justice education to school learners, and promoting GBV awareness in communities.

She is particularly passionate about the development of female law students and was instrumental in pioneering the SACIAWJ mentorship programme in 2015.

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Vice President Publications: Elmarie van der Schyff
Judge

Elmarie van der Schyff is a Judge of the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, with a background spanning legal practice, academia, and judicial service.

After qualifying as an attorney in 1992, she practised law both for her own account and later with established firms before joining the Faculty of Law at the then Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education.

For nearly two decades in academia, she lectured in private and property law, during which she developed new legal education programmes and published extensively, particularly in the fields of mineral and natural resources law.

She has served in various leadership roles, including as Acting Dean of Law and as a member of the North-West University Council.

Her judicial experience includes several acting appointments before her permanent appointment to the Bench in 2020. Judge Van der Schyff’s career reflects a commitment to legal scholarship, professional integrity, and public service.

 

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Assistant Vice President Publications: Audrey Mashigo
Regional Magistrate

Ms Audrey Mashigo holds an LLM degree from the University of Johannesburg, formerly Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit, LLB, and B. Juris from the Northwest University, Mafikeng. She is currently working as a Regional Court Magistrate in Gqeberha. As a presiding Officer for over 20 years, she is versatile in civil, criminal, and family Law.

She commenced her career as a candidate attorney at the Legal Aid South Africa, Soweto office, before she practiced as an attorney for her own account under the name and style of AS Mashigo Attorneys. She lectured Law: Policing II and III at Technikon SA, now part of Unisa, Police Practice Faculty, before becoming a Magistrate. She used to be a Coordinator for community outreach projects.

As a lecturer, she undertook industry liaison activities with stakeholders as part of the Programme Group: Police Practice. That led to her being a philanthropist, and she got involved in various community-related aspects to this day.

Her love of imparting knowledge led her to be appointed as a Judicial Educator (Senior Magistrate) at the South African Judicial Institute of South Africa (SAJEI) from 2016-2020, leading the criminal Law Stream. She held this position for almost 5 years. She acted as a mentor to several magistrates in the process.

 In 2019, she was appointed to the Pan-African Committee of Judges on Social Justice by Pope Francis at the Vatican, Rome. She was also a Provincial Coordinator for the Eastern Cape- The South African chapter of the International Association of Women Judges till 8 August 2025. In May 2024, she was appointed as Judicial Coordinator for the Women in Leadership in Law (WILIL) program in South Africa by the International Association of Women Judges- Washington.

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Vice-President Programmes: Shanaaz Christine Mia
Judge

Judge Mia serves as a judge in the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa since 2020. She has served as a judicial officer for 22 years having been appointed as a Magistrate in Johannesburg in 2003.

Prior to ascending to the bench, Judge Mia served as a Family Advocate mediating contact and custody disputes.

She graduated from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and then read for an LLB (UCT). She read for a Master of Laws degree at the University of the Western Cape. Her interests in law have included Constitutional Rights in Criminal Law, Family Law and Children’s Rights. 

She is a founder member of the SA Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges and has served in various roles within the organisation.

She has assisted South African Judicial Education Institute (SAJEI) as a facilitator in seminars for magistrates. She also served on the African Regional Judges Forum (ARJF) Education Subcommittee which seeks to sensitise the judiciary on various issues. She is currently the Vice President Programmes for the SACIAWJ in Gauteng.  She is an advocate for judicial wellness.

 

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Assistant Vice President Programmes: Maletsatsi Betty Mahalelo
Judge

Judge Mahalelo serves as a judge in the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa since 2018.

She is currently serving as Acting Deputy Judge President of the Labour and Labour Appeal Court since January 2025.  She has been acting as Judge of the Labour Appeal Court since January 2025 to date.

She has served as a judicial officer for 34 years, having been appointed as a Magistrate in Mogwase (North West) in 1991.

Before ascending to the bench, Judge Mahalelo served as an Interpreter for 8 months and later a Public Prosecutor for 5 years.

She graduated from the University of the North West with a BJURIS degree and then read for LLB, which she completed in 2000.

She is a founder member of the SA Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges. She has been involved in the mentorship programme by mentoring students from UJ and Wits Universities.

She is currently the Assistant Vice President Programmes for the SACIAWJ in Gauteng.

 

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Treasurer: Tebogo Djaje
Deputy Judge President

Tebogo Jennifer Djaje was appointed as Deputy Judge President of the North-West Division of the High Court in 2022. Her career in law started when she was admitted as an attorney in 1998.

In 2000, she worked as an attorney at the NWU Law Clinic. She was appointed to the Magistracy where she served in the District Court from 2001 to 2004, and as a Regional Magistrate from 2004 to 2016.

In 2017 she was elevated to the High Court Bench and appointed as a Judge of the North-West Division of the High Court.

She served as a Judge in the Labour Court from April to June 2025 and is currently appointed an Acting Judge of Appeal in the Labour Appeal Court since July 2025.

Judge Djaje is passionate about training and fully embraces the core values of the SAC-IAWJ.

 

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Secretary: Lalitha Chetty
Senior Magistrate

Lalitha Chetty is currently appointed at the Randburg Magistrate's Court as a Senior Magistrate. Before joining the bench in 2003, she was a practising Attorney in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal. She obtained her Bachelor of Social Science (Law) from the University of Natal in 1991 and her LLB (Honours) from the University of Durban-Westville in 1994.

As a practising Attorney, she was actively involved in the opening of “The advice desk for abused women” in Ladysmith, which was a branch of the Durban office under the leadership of Dr Navi Pillay and the Late Dr Anshu Padayachee. She continues to be a champion of women’s rights and ensures that her current position allows victims of gender-based violence crimes to be assisted without any delays.

Her involvement in the Legal Profession also included being the Chairperson and secretary of Nadel ( Kwa-Zulu Northern Natal ) and holding positions on the Gender and Family committees of the then Law Society of Natal.

She is actively involved as a Mentorship Champion and co-convenor for the Mentorship program of the Gauteng province of SAC-IAWJ. She has mentored a number of final year Law students who have eventually made their mark in the profession. Previously, she served the Chapter as a secretary, assistant secretary, and Provincial Co-ordinator for several years.

 Her motto in life is simple: Learn to appreciate the simple things in life and be grateful that you get another chance every day to make a difference. She is looking forward to applying her skills within the organisation and to ensuring that female judicial officers continue to be empowered.

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Assistant Secretary: Ntsoki Moni
Regional Magistrate

Nontsokolo Moni known as Ntsoki is a Regional Court Magistrate in Oudtshoorn in the Southern Cape(Western Cape). Ntsoki Moni originates from Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha). She holds a BJuris degree from Fort Hare University, LLB from Western Cape University, LLM (international law), and PG Diploma (Corporate Law) from the University of Johannesburg.

She started her journey as a legal officer at Mutual and Federal in Cape Town in January 1996, and in April of the same year (1996), she joined the MMF, which was later known as RAF (Road Accident Fund), as a claims’ handler until the 20th of January 2005. On the 24th of January 2005 was called to the magistrate bench on the family Pilote project in Upington (Northern Cape) as an Acting Magistrate until she left the province in April 2006 where she continued acting as a Magistrate in Durban Magistrate Court until her permanent appointment as a Magistrate in Johannesburg on the 1st of October 2006.

Ntsoki became a member of SAC-IAWJ in December 2006. In 2012, she relocated to the Eastern Cape Grahamstown Magistrate's court, where she assisted with developing the different forums, which assisted in training the acting magistrates, preparing them for the permanent appointments, as they were not eligible to attend the SAJEI trainings. She was involved in the mentorship of the Acting Magistrates. She had assisted in SAJEI training where there was a need. In 2019, she was appointed as a Regional Court Magistrate in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape Province.

She served as SAC-IAWJ Provincial Coordinator (PC) of the Eastern Cape in the years 2014 to 2016 and is the current assistant secretary of the organization. She is actively affiliated with different professional organizations e.g. ARMSA and NADEL.