Leonora van den Heever, the first female judge in South Africa, died on Thursday at 99. She passed away at her home in Oranjezicht, reports Cape town Etc .
Van den Heever joined the bench in 1969 when she was appointed to the Northern Cape Division, states South African History Online .
Her appointment made legal history and set a precedent for women in the judiciary. She later served on the appellate bench and remained an active legal mind after retirement.