Pule Tlaletsi

Born: 5 November 1960, Randfontein.

EDUCATION:

Matriculated at Moroka High School in 1980.

Obtained BProc at University of Bophuthatswana (UNIBO) in 1985.

Obtained LLB at University of Bophuthatswana (UNIBO) in 1987.

CERT DEP (Unisa/LSSA) 1 JUNE1999.

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Candidate attorney at the Office of the State Attorney until 1987.

Admitted as an Attorney in 1989.

Director at Gura Tlaletsi Inc from 1989 to 2003.

Acting Judge:  Northern Cape Division from April to October 2003.

Judge:  Northern Cape Division from 1 November 2003.

Acting Judge: Labour Courts from April 2004 to June 2004 and 11 April 2005 to 30 June 2005.

Acting Judge President: Northern Cape Division from 1 August 2006 to 15 November 2006.

Acting Judge: Labour Court from 29 January 2007 to 30 March 2007.

Acting Judge: Labour Appeal Court from July 2007 to December 2008 and from April 2009 to 15 December 2009 and 16 December 2003 to 30 June 2010 (interrupted by substantive appointment).

Judge: Labour Appeal Court from 29 April 2010.

Acting Deputy Judge President: Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court from 7 April 2013 to October 2013 and 1 November 2013 to 31 March 2014 (interrupted by the substantive appointment).

Deputy Judge President: Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court from 2 December 2013 to 17 September 2017.

Acting Judge President: Northern Cape High Court from16 September 2014 to 31 December 2014.

Acting Judge President: Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court from 4 April 2016 to 18 June 2016.

Acting Judge President: Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court from April 2017 to 17 July 2017.

Acting Judge President: Northern Cape High Court from 18 July 2017 to 17 September 2017.

Judge President: Northern Cape High Court from 18 September 2017 to date.

Acting Judge: Constitutional Court of South Africa from 01 February 2021 to January 2022.

Acting Judge: Supreme Court of Appeal: 01 April to 31 May 2024.

OTHER ACTIVIES

Member of Lawyers for Human Rights: Executive Committee Member and Treasurer

Mafikeng Region from 1989 to 1996.

Member of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL): Branch Secretary, Chairperson and National Executive Committee Member from 1990 to 2003.

Law Society Bophuthatswana: Council Member from 1997 to 2000.

President of the Law Society of Bophuthatswana from 2000 to 2002.

Member of the council (UNIBO) renamed as the University of the North West: 1994 to 1999.

Councillor and chairperson of the executive committee in Mafikeng Local Municipality from 1994 to 1999.

Board Member: Botshelo Water Board from 1995 to 1999.

North West Circle of the Law Society of the Northern Province: Council Member from 2002 to 2003.

Law Society of South Africa (Lssa): Nominated to serve in the Dispute Resolution Committee from 2003.

PERSONAL

Born 23 September 1965, Johannesburg

Partner: Gary Da Mata

No children

EDUCATION

Matric:  Hoёrskool Linden (1983)

Degrees: B Comm Law (1986) Rand Afrikaans University, (University of Johannesburg)

LLB (1988) Rand Afrikaans University

LLM Banking Law (1992) Rand Afrikaans University

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Candidate Attorney Bowens - Attorneys, Johannesburg - January 1989-December 1990

Admitted as attorney March/April 1991

Employed as Professional Assistant - Bowens Attorneys - April 1991-February 1992

Pupillage - Johannesburg Society of Advocates (JSA) - February 1992 to July 1992

Member JSA - 2 July 1992-30 November 2018

Senior counsel status conferred - 2009

Various acting appointments at High Court, Johannesburg during 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Acting appointment at High Court, Pretoria – February 2018, May 2018

Appointed as Judge of the High Court, Gauteng Division, Johannesburg - 1 January 2019 to present.

Acting Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal: 01 June – 30 September 2024

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Member of Law Society of Northern Province -1991-February 1992

Member JSA 1992 – 2018

Member of Bar Council JSA - November 1998 – October 2007

Ad hoc member of JSA Bar Bursary Fund Committee – 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 and JSA Professional Committee - 2013

Involved in Advocacy Training JSA from 2000 – 2009; since 2019 on ad hoc basis when requested to assist

Involved in training programmes of Aspirant Women Judges and Aspirant Judges in 2022 and 2023

Personal

6 February 1957

Married, 2 Children

Education

Matric: Witteklip Secondary School, 1974

BA (Law): University of Durban Westville, 1977

LLB: University of Durban Westville, 1979

PC Training institute:  Certificate in Microsoft Office, 1999

University of Cape Town: Certificate in Social context training, 1999

Varsity College: Diploma in Business Management, 2001

Professional History

Served articles of Clerkship, January 1980 – February 1982

Practicing Attorney in a partnership with two others, February 1982 – July 1985

Legal advisor to the then Small Business Development Corporation in Durban, now known as Business

Partners, July 1985 – March 1988

Private practice as an attorney, March 1988 – February 1992

Presided in the Small Claims Court in Verulam, 1991; Lectured part-time at the (then) ML Sultan

Technikon (now Durban University of Technology), 1991

Prosecutor: Department of Justice, 1992 – 1998

Appointed Magistrate in the District Court in Durban, August 1998 – October 2002

Appointed Senior Magistrate (Civil Courts) and served as Head of the Civil Courts, November 2002- January 2005

Acted as a Judge of the High Court of South Africa Durban & Coast Local Division 1 August- 4 September 2005; Acted as a Regional Court Magistrate, 2005

Acting Judge of the High Court of South Africa Durban & Coast Local Division, 31 July- 3 September 2006

Acting Judge of the High Court of South Africa Durban and Coast Local Division, 28 July - 31 August 2008, Natal Provincial Division from 1 September - 28 September 2008

Acting Judge of the High Court of South Africa Natal Provincial Division, 14 April -24 May 2009

Served as Head of the Family Court Division at the Durban Magistrate’s Court, February 2005 – December 2010

Acting Judge of the High Court, Kwa-Zulu Provincial Division (Durban), 1-28 March 2010

Head of the Criminal Court Division at the Durban Magistrate’s Court, January 2011 to July 2011

Acting Judge in the Free State High Court, 10 October 2011 – 23 March 2012

Acting Judge in the KZN High Court Durban, 29 April – 2 June 2013

Acting Judge of the North Gauteng High Court, 22 July – 9 August 2013

Acting Judge South Gauteng High Court, 12 August – 20 September 2013                                                                              

Acting Judge in the Free State High Court, 21 October – 13 December 2013

Served as the Deputy Head of Office, Durban, August 2011 to October 2013

Appointed to the Free State Bench, 1 January 2014

Acting Deputy Judge President of the Free State, 29 January - 30 March 2018

Acting Deputy Judge President of the Free State Division for two terms, 15 April - 28 June 2019 and 29 July to 20 September 2019.

Acting Deputy Judge President of the Free State Division, 5 October - 6 November 2020

Acting Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal: 04 June – 30 September 2024

Other Professional Activities

Appointed as Trainer/Facilitator for the Law Race and Gender Research Unit, University of Cape Town (LRG), 1999

Appointed Assistant Editor of “The Judicial Officer”, 2000

Selected to serve as a Magistrate Mentor, 2001

Elected Provincial Treasurer of the Judicial Officers Association of South Africa (JOASA), 2001 – 2004

Represented JOASA at a conference of the International Association of Judges (IAJ) in Morocco, 2002

Elected Provincial Chairperson of JOASA, Kwa-Zulu Natal; Elected the first Vice President Publications of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges (SAC-IAWJ), 2004

Assessor High Court, Durban, 15 November to 15 December 2004

Re-elected Provincial Chairperson of JOASA Kwa-Zulu Natal; Appointed Editor of “The Judicial Officer”, 2005

Represented the SAC-IAWJ at the Biennial Conferences of the IAWJ in Sydney, Australia, 2006;

Represented JOASA at a conference of the IAJ in Hungary, 2006

Elected Vice President: Programmes of SAC- IAWJ; Participated in the Judicial Training Programme for Aspirant Women Judges, 2007

Completed Training Programme for Aspirant Women Judges, 2008

Elected Interim National Secretary and International Liaison Person of SAC-IAWJ, and Chairperson of JOASA Special Committee on Gender, 2009

Elected Deputy President and International Liaison Person of SAC-IAWJ, 2010 – 2014

Served on the Division’s Social Committee, 2014 – 2017 and Judges’ IT Committee, 2015 to date

Project Manager as well as co-facilitator of training programmes for judicial officers on Combating Human Trafficking, 2009-2011

Represented the SAC-IAWJ at a conference of the Southern African Association of Chief Justices, in NAIDOOZambia, 2011

Represented SAC-IAWJ at the Biennial Conference of the IAWJ in Arusha, Tanzania, 2014

PERSONAL

Born 23 December 1973

Children: Two

EDUCATION

Matric:  Ngangelizwe Senior Secondary School, Mthatha 1991

B Juris: University of Transkei (Currently Walter Sisulu University), 1996       

LLB: University of Transkei (Currently Walter Sisulu University), 1998           

Practice Management: Law Society of South Africa (LSSA-CLE), May 1998-Feb 1999

Certificate in Practical Legal Training (East London School for Legal Practice), Jan 1999-June 1999

Certificate in Advanced Trial Advocacy – BLA, October 2000

Certificate in Advanced Trial Advocacy – BLA, (Train the Trainer) , July 2004

Certificate in Sports Law: University of Cape Town, March 2001

Update Seminars in Recent Labour Law Legislation and Cases – Van Zyl & Rudd Inc Claremont, Cape Town, Nov 2002 & Aug 2003

Certificate in Consensus Building Process and Skills - Conflict Dynamics, Sandton, July 2003

Diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution – Conflict and Mediation AFSA & University of Pretoria, Oct 2003

Certificate in Commercial Law – Irish Law Society & LSSA, East London, Oct 2005

Certificate in Commercial Law Litigation – BLA/United States Retired Lawyers, Oct 2006

Practice Management Course – Cape Law Society/ Mr A Angerjun, India, Sept 2008

Certificate in Education, Training & Development for Practitioners - LSSA/ SASSETA,   March 2009

Certificate in Environmental Law – LSSA, Oct 2009

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Legal Assistant (during University vacations), Lawyers for Human Rights, Mthatha, Dec 1992 – June 1994 and Oct 1997 – Jan 1999

Regional Distribution Co-ordinator, Independent Forum for Electoral Education, Feb 1994 – June 1994

Legal Advisor, Madikizela & Associates, Nov 1996 – Feb 1997

Candidate Attorney – G.L. Yako Inc, Mthatha, July 1999 – July 2000

Enrolled as Attorney – (by the then Transkei Provincial Division), Mthatha, Oct 2000

Professional Assistant at G.L. Yako Inc, Mthatha, Oct 2000 – Feb 2001

Director, Preller Oosthuizen Inc – Cape Town, Feb 2001 – Oct 2001

Legal Adviser - Women’s Legal Centre, Cape Town, April 2002 – Oct 2002

Senior State Attorney - Office of the State Attorney, Cape Town, Nov 2002 – Mar 2011

Director, BP Mantame Attorneys, Mar 2011 – Feb 2013                                                                                 

Acting Judge, Western Cape High Court, Cape Town, April 2011 – June 2011, July 2011 –  Sept 2011, Oct 2011 - Dec 2011, Jan 2012 –  Mar 2012, Apr 2012 –  Jun 2012, July 2012 –Sept 201, Oct 2012 – Dec 2012, Jan 2013 – Feb 2013

Permanent Judge, Western Cape High Court, Cape Town, Feb 2013 to date

Acting Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal: 01 June – 30 September 2024

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Member of Law Society of Northern Province -1991-February 1992

Member JSA 1992 – 2018

Member of Bar Council JSA - November 1998 – October 2007

Ad hoc member of JSA Bar Bursary Fund Committee – 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 and JSA Professional Committee - 2013

Involved in Advocacy Training JSA from 2000 – 2009; since 2019 on ad hoc basis when requested to assist

Involved in training programmes of Aspirant Women Judges and Aspirant Judges in 2022 and 2023