Niël Terblanché
Chief Justice Peter Shivute has paid tribute to the late Lady Justice Mavis Gibson, who passed away on 21 May 2025 after a period of illness.
In a statement issued on behalf of the Judicial Service Commission and the Office of the Judiciary, Chief Justice Shivute conveyed his condolences to Justice Gibson’s family, the judiciary of Zimbabwe, and the people of Zimbabwe, calling her a trailblazer and judicial icon of both Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Justice Gibson, a Zimbabwean national, holds the distinction of having been the first black woman appointed to the High Court of Zimbabwe.
Her legal career crossed borders when she was appointed as a substantive judge of the High Court of Namibia on 18 December 1995 by the President of the Republic of Namibia.
With this appointment, she became the first woman to serve on Namibia’s High Court Bench.
She continued to pave the way for women in the judiciary when she was appointed as an acting judge of the Supreme Court of Namibia on 19 August 1999, the first woman to be appointed in this capacity.
Her judicial tenure in Namibia came to an end upon her retirement in 2008, by which time she had become the longest-serving judge of the High Court of Namibia.
According to Chief Justice Shivute, Justice Gibson contributed immensely to the growth of jurisprudence and the strengthening of judicial integrity in Namibia.
He added that her legal acumen and dedication to justice made her a respected figure across two national jurisdictions.
Justice Shivute described her passing as a deep loss to the legal fraternity.
He added that Justice Gibson’s legacy continues to inspire generations of jurists in Southern Africa, particularly women entering the legal profession in a region where she helped change the face of the judiciary.
“May her soul rest in eternal peace,” he said in his message.
