By Nomfundo Manyathi-Jele
The Law Society of the Northern Provinces (LSNP) has issued a press release stating its concern regarding media reports suggesting that Communications Minister Faith Muthambi’s legal adviser, attorney Lugisani Mantsha, was struck from the roll of attorneys on application by the LSNP in 2007 and that he was, therefore, not regarded as a credible witness before the Communications Portfolio Committee.
This statement made by the Democratic Alliance (DA) failed to mention the fact that Mr Mantsha was subsequently found to be fit and proper to practise as an attorney and was readmitted as an attorney by the High Court on 8 December 2011.
The DA’s Gavin Davis had stated that this revelation meant that any legal advice Mr Mantsha gave Minister Muthambi can be discredited, including the removal of three SABC board members earlier this year.
Mr Mantsha had appeared before the Communications Portfolio Committee last month alongside Minister Muthambi, to overturn Parliament’s legal opinion that the removal of three SABC board members was unlawful.
The three board members – Rachel Kildass, Ronnie Lubisi and Hope Zinde – were fired earlier this year after Minister Muthambi expressed unhappiness with the board after sensitive matters were leaked to the media.
The removal of the board members prompted Parliament’s Communications Portfolio Committee to seek legal opinion on the validity of Minister Muthambi’s decision.
The LSNP stated that Mr Mantsha has in fact been registered with the LSNP since December 2011 as a practising attorney and is in good standing with the law society.
Nomfundo Manyathi-Jele NDip Journ (DUT) BTech Journ (TUT) is the news editor at De Rebus.
This article was first published in De Rebus in 2015 (Sep) DR 15.
