Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala passes on

MBABANE- Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala has died, according to reports emerging on Thursday.

Maphalala is reported to have passed away while receiving treatment at a hospital in South Africa following an illness.

He was appointed Chief Justice in November 2015.

The Judiciary of Eswatini lists Maphalala as the head of the Judiciary, president of the Supreme Court and chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission.

Maphalala was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2011 before becoming chief justice four years later. He succeeded Michael Ramodibedi after serving as Acting Chief Justice. Ramodibedi died in 2019.

Maphalala obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1990 and worked as an attorney from 1992 to 2009 before entering the superior courts.

During his tenure, Maphalala represented Eswatini at several regional and continental judicial engagements. He served as chairperson of the Southern and Eastern Africa Chief Justices’ Forum, including when he addressed the Constitutional Court of South Africa in 2025.

As recently as May 2026, Maphalala addressed judges and legal practitioners on the emerging challenges posed by artificial intelligence and digital technology in electoral justice. He recently presented the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the conduct of the Office of the Master of the High Court.

In one of his addresses, he highlighted the need for African judiciaries to prepare for legal, ethical and technical challenges arising from the growing use of artificial intelligence and electronic electoral systems.

Details surrounding his reported death, including the circumstances of his illness and funeral arrangements, were not immediately available at the time of publication.