Violet Phatshoane

Mmathebe Violet Phatshoane (born 20 November 1972) is a South African judge who is currently serving as Deputy Judge President of the Northern Cape High Court. She joined the court as a puisne judge in May 2011 and was appointed to the deputy judge presidency in July 2021. Before entering the judiciary, she practised as an attorney in Bloemfontein, specialising in commercial law and labour law.

Born in the North West Province, Phatshoane was admitted as an attorney in Bloemfontein in 1999 and she co-founded her own firm, PHI, in 2002. During her first decade in the High Court, she was thrice shortlisted unsuccessfully for the Deputy Judge President position, twice in 2017 and once in 2019; on each occasion, her nomination was overshadowed by allegations that former Judge President Frans Kgomo had intervened in the appointment process in her favour. After a fourth nomination, she secured the deputy judge presidency in July 2021, appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Early life and education Phatshoane was born on 20 November 1972 in Phokeng outside Rustenburg in present-day North West Province. She completed a BProc at the University of the North in 1995 and went on to the University of the Free State, graduating with an LLB in 1997 and an LLM in 1999. She specialised in commercial law and labour law, and she was a part-time commissioner at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration from 1999 to 2004.

John Block corruption trial In the Kimberley High Court, Phatshoane presided in the highly publicised corruption trial of three prominent Northern Cape politicians – John Block, Alvin Botes, and (until her death) Yolanda Botha – who pled not guilty at the outset of the trial in February 2014. At an early stage of the trial, Phatshoane dismissed the defendants' application for her recusal, finding no merit to their argument that she had demonstrated herself to be biased in her ruling against their acquittal. After a lengthy trial, Phatshoane convicted Block of corruption, fraud, and money laundering in October 2015, though Botes was acquitted; he was sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence in December 2016.

The sentencing was delayed after Block lodged a complaint against Phatshoane with the Judicial Service Commission, alleging that her judgement had been improperly influenced by Frans Kgomo, the Judge President of the Northern Cape Division. In particular, an eyewitness had apparently told Block's lawyer that, during a phone call about Block, Kgomo had urged Phatshoane to "Convict the bastard". Phatshoane and Kgomo both denied having had any such conversation, as did the alleged eyewitness (attorney Nano Matlata), and the Judicial Service Commission dismissed the complaint against Phatshoane. In subsequent years, Kgomo sued Block, alleging that his allegation had been defamatory.

Labour Courts During her service in the High Court, Phatshoane has served lengthy stints as an acting judge in the labour courts. She acted in the Labour Court in 2013 and 2015 and in the Labour Appeal Court between August 2016 and May 2017,

However, the major topic of the interview was the last-minute withdrawal of the other candidate, Northern Cape Judge Cecile Williams. Phatshoane denied that the Northern Cape Division had been "factionalised", but she said that Williams had upset one of their mutual colleagues by refusing to help with an Afrikaans translation. After the Judicial Service Commission hearings, although Williams's withdrawal left Phatshoane as the only candidate for that vacancy, the Judicial Service Commission declined to recommend her as suitable for appointment.

Nonetheless, during the transition period occasioned by Kgomo's retirement, Phatshoane served as acting Judge President from June to July 2017 and then as acting Deputy Judge President from July to December 2017. In response, Pakati told the interview panel that there were severe divisions in the Northern Cape Division, partly caused by Kgomo's ambitions for Phatshoane; asked whether Phatshoane was perceived as the Northern Cape's "anointed one", Pakati replied in the affirmative. She was interviewed in April and was asked about the Block trial, her approach to politically sensitive matters, and her leadership experience. The Judicial Service Commission recommended her for appointment,

Supreme Court of Appeal Phatshoane was an acting judge in the Supreme Court of Appeal between April and September 2021 and later between April and May 2022.'''

In October 2023, she was shortlisted and interviewed for possible permanent appointment to one of four judicial vacancies at the Supreme Court of Appeal. During the interview, members of the Judicial Service Commission raised concerns about Phatshoane's level of experience. Justice Minister Ronald Lamola also suggested that it would be a "setback" for gender equality in the judiciary if Phatshoane left her leadership position in the High Court. However, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo responded that his main concern was the stability of the Northern Cape Division, not gender equality.

Other activities Phatshoane is a member of the South African chapter of the International Association of Women Judges, and she was its vice-president of programmes from August 2012 to August 2014. she will serve a four-year term, ending in April 2025.