Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma has sent condolences to the family of former Constitutional Court Justice Thembile Skweyiya, who died on Tuesday at the age of 76.
Zuma also sent condolences to the judiciary.
"Justice Skweyiya was one of the distinguished members of our judiciary who served the nation at many levels of our justice system including as Constitutional Court judge and Inspector of correctional services," Zuma said in a statement.
"The nation has lost a dedicated leader in the development of the country's jurisprudence and a renowned human rights lawyer and activist during the height of apartheid repression in the 1980s."
Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said Skweyiya's death was a great loss to the country and he would be missed.
"We received news of the passing of former Justice Skweyiya with deep sadness," he said in a statement.
"He served the nation with great distinction as an anti-apartheid lawyer, human rights activist, senior counsel, judge of the high court as well as a justice of the constitutional court of South Africa."
Mogoeng, on behalf of the judiciary, sent condolences to Skweyiya's family.
"The late Justice Skweyiya will be missed for his wisdom, humility and passion for human rights, judicial independence, and a functional constitutional democracy."
Skweyiya is survived by his wife Sayo and their four children.