Sudden death of Bhisho's Judge Dukada

[caption id="attachment_34371" align="alignright" width="150"] DUNCAN DUKADA[/caption]

THE Bhisho High Court staff were in mourning yesterday following the sudden death of Judge Duncan Dukada, 61.

Dukada was appointed to the bench in the Eastern Cape in July 2012. His brother, Advocate Nceba Dukada, SC, said yesterday he had an operation two weeks ago and was recovering at home, but died in his sleep on Wednesday.

Dukada was the judge who ruled in January that the full Kabuso forensic report on maladministration in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality be handed over to The Herald.

He said at the time it was compellingly in the public interest for evidence of "substantial contraventions of the law" to be revealed.

The Herald's bid followed the refusal of both an internal application and an appeal in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act to have access to the report.

Dukada studied at the University of Fort Hare and later obtained his LLB from the University of South Africa.

He worked as a prosecutor and an assistant magistrate before being admitted as an attorney in 1982. He had also lectured in commercial law at the then University of Transkei.

He also served as provincial chairman of the Black Lawyers' Association. He was from the village of Qokolweni in the King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality.

During his stint on the bench, Dukada also ordered the national Department of Education to issue norms and standards for school infrastructure.

He leaves his wife, Hlombekazi, four children and one grandchild. – Herald Reporter