The eldest daughter of Gauteng Judge President Bernard Ngoepe
Spokesperson Lulama Luti said Matlala (41) died on Saturday after battling diabetic complications.
Matlala was the mother of the late four-year-old Makgabo Bernice Matlala, who was found murdered at her parents' house in Lenasia in March 2006.
"It is the family's view that Kwena, as she was affectionately known, never fully recovered, emotionally, from the tragic loss of her daughter," Luti said.
After completing a BProc degree at the University of the North, Kwena trained as an attorney with Matlala Attorneys in Pretoria.
She then went on to work for the Road Accident Fund (RAF) where she remained until her death.
Luti said a memorial service would be held at the RAF offices in Johannesburg on Thursday, starting at 11am.
The funeral service would be held on Saturday, in Lenasia South.
Matlala is survived by her husband, two sons, her parents and two siblings. – Sapa