Capacity: Attorney
Admission as attorney: 2000
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Black
Date of Birth: October 1961
Qualifications: BA (1983) (University of Lesotho), LLB (1993) (University of Witwatersrand)
Key judgments:
- Inzalo Utility Management Services v Victory Khanye Local Municipality and Another (2837/2022) (unreported)
- L M Mashiloane obo Minor v Road Accident Fund (3272/2024) (unreported)
- Snyman v Snyman and Others (699/2021) (unreported)
Candidate Biography| Updated September 2025:
Ms Lerato Jane Nontando Bam is a director at the firm Kruegel Heinsen Inc., the co-head of the conveyance department there, and the director of Human Resources as well.
She is an accomplished legal practitioner whose career reflects both depth of expertise and a steadfast commitment to the administration of justice.
Over the course of more than two decades in law, she has built a distinguished record spanning practice, academia, and the judiciary, with her work marked by intellectual rigour, independence of mind, and a clear dedication to fairness.
Her formal legal training began with the attainment of an LLB degree from the University of Witwatersrand in 1993, after which she entered practice as an attorney. Her articles of clerkship were undertaken at Makobe & Dolamo Attorneys between 1998 to 2002, though she was admitted in 2000. She quickly distinguished herself in litigation and advisory work, engaging in complex civil, commercial, and constitutional matters. In three years, she was not only admitted as an attorney, but also as a conveyancer and notary. In 2003, Ms Bam entered into a partnership to form Dolamo-Bam Attorneys, before taking up a position as a conveyancer at Kruegel Heinsen Inc. in 2006. She ran her own firm from 2009 to 2015 before finally becoming a director at Kruegel Heinsen Inc. in 2015, where she remains to this day. Once working in law, Ms Bam’s focus in private practice exposed her to a wide range of disputes, requiring both technical proficiency and the ability to manage diverse client interests under pressing conditions.
She has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to the advancement of legal education, mentoring younger lawyers and contributing to legal scholarship. Her early career, prior to entering the legal sphere, was as a lecturer at the University of Lesotho, from 1983 to1986. This combination of practice and academic grounding has given her an unusual breadth, enabling her to approach legal questions not only from the perspective of immediate dispute resolution but also with an eye to systemic implications and the development of jurisprudence.
Her judicial experience is extensive. She has acted in both the Gauteng and Mpumalanga divisions of the High Court, presiding over both civil and criminal matters since 2015. In that capacity, she has earned a reputation for clarity of reasoning, diligence in preparation, and a respectful but firm approach in court. Since 2015, she has had seventeen separate stints as an Acting Judge. This makes her deeply knowledgeable, not only on the sorts of matters usually heard in the High Court, but also in the procedures and protocols of the Mpumalanga High Court.
Her judgments reflect consistency, analytical depth, and accessibility, demonstrating her ability to distil complex legal and factual disputes into clear, well-reasoned outcomes. She has dealt with cases involving constitutional rights, administrative justice, commercial disputes, and criminal trials, with her decisions showing sensitivity both to precedent and to the evolving demands of South Africa’s constitutional democracy.
For example, her judgment in L M Mashiloane obo Minor v Road Accident Fund, Ms Bam went to great lengths to fully interrogate all the relevant facts and information pertaining to the minor child. She maintained his best interests as paramount, while still conducting a thorough analysis of the law as it stands and the evidence that had been put before her. This case centred on a child who had been struck by a car while playing in the street and had suffered physical disfigurement in the form of scars, as well as slight intellectual and neurological deficits from an injury to his head caused by the accident.
Beyond her judicial work, Ms Bam has maintained strong ties to professional institutions and has upheld the highest standards of conduct. She has also engaged in service to the broader legal community through participation in professional bodies and by contributing to initiatives aimed at broadening access to justice. She has been involved in various community-oriented organisations aimed at protecting and furthering the rights of children, such as being the Secretary for Emalahleni Child and Family Welfare Board.
Her career is marked by a combination of technical excellence, professional integrity, and a demonstrable commitment to the constitutional project. She brings to the bench not only her knowledge and experience, but also the qualities of patience, impartiality, and courage required of a judicial officer.
October 2025 Interview
The Judicial Service Commission interviewed candidates for two vacancies in the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court. Following deliberations, the Commission had resolved not to recommend Ms Lerato Jane Nontando Bam for the position.
Ms Lerato Jane Nontando Bam‘s interview was unsuccessful.