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A gavel used in the court of law
Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund (LPFF) CEO, Motlatsi Molefe says the National Dialogue should address the moral decay within the legal system of the country. This as the LPFF launched its community outreach and engagement session at the Phillip Smith Hall in Welkom, in the Free state.
The session is aimed at highlighting legal accountability in South Africa. Molefe says some legal practitioners have been disbarred due to misconduct, which includes theft of money and property of unsuspecting clients.
Molefe adds that these acts have brought the country’s legal system into disrepute.
“Well, I don’t think it’s about the legal fraternity but the country as a whole. You have to address moral decay, because that’s where it starts. You actually steal because society has found it easier to tolerate things like those over the years. So, when you talk about the legal profession, you should talk about it in the context of it being part of society and it encapsulates the same values that talk to proper ethical conduct.”
Since 2018, more that 50 attorneys have been disbarred due to misconduct, with some stealing between R1.5 million and R5 million from their clients.
Some residents, who attended the session, say the National Dialogue must address legal issues for South Africans to regain trust in the legal system. While others say the National Dialogue alone will not resolve challenges such as unemployment and GBV.
“Somewhere, somehow, it doesn’t help us. Because we talk, we talk, it’s like a talk show. It has been done for years, but it doesn’t help us like I said,” says a resident.
“What we want the dialogue to address, if the dialogue, I mean, in South Africa, there are a lot of things that are being made, like laws, they talk about the number one constitution in the world. But, the problem is the implementation,” adds another resident.
Molefe says the LPFF will use its resources to reach rural and farming communities, as they are mostly affected by the legal practitioners’ misconduct.
“There’s a deliberate campaign that is starting, infact it started two weeks ago, that will be ongoing until the end of the year, next year. And the target is areas lik these. You know, we tend to look at the big cities more than the rural areas.”
In the Free State, Welkom is reported to have more cases of misconduct reported against legal practitioners.
