By Kgomotso Ramotsho
LexisNexis donated three laptops, which are to be used as database development equipment, to the Southern African Development Community Lawyers Association (SADC LA) on 12 June in Pretoria. In his opening remarks the President of the SADC LA, Max Boqwana, said the donation of laptops by LexisNexis was an act of solidarity towards rebuilding the continent. He added that the SADC LA campaign should be supported by Africans and that LexisNexis was among the first companies to respond to the campaign.
Mr Boqwana said the laptops will contribute to the establishing of the SADC LA database. This database will hold the details of more than 50 000 legal practitioners in the SADC region. He pointed out that at a SADC LA meeting in Swaziland many years ago, two tasks were identified. One was the harmonisation of law in the SADC region and the second task was to address legal practitioner mobility in the SADC region where, legal practitioners in the SADC region would be able to ‘link up’ with one another. Mr Boqwana thanked LexisNexis for their generous contribution.
Executive Manager: Strategic Alliances and Partnerships at LexisNexis, Mari van Wyk, said organisations need to become self-sufficient, adding that organisations can only be as efficient as the equipment that they have available to them to perform their duties. She said LexisNexis realised that there was a need to upgrade the SADC LA’s equipment. ‘Technology has advanced in so many ways, that the equipment [the SADC LA was using] was not sufficient. I do not see this as a sponsorship or donation, but as a contribution to the SADC LA to achieve their goals, hopefully it will strengthen them to achieve the objective of consolidating the very important database,’ Ms van Wyk said.
Ms van Wyk added that the SADC LA strives to implement good governance, but to do so, they need proper equipment. She said the SADC LA needs to improve and streamline communication. ‘If you are not on the Internet or social media, you are non-existent. The SADC LA needs to utilise the equipment to make themselves known in those environments. I hope the equipment will provide you access to other platforms you have never reached [so that you can] become self-sufficient,’ Ms van Wyk added.
Ms van Wyk pointed out that LexisNexis and the SADC LA share a common interest, which is passion for the rule of law. She added that knowing that LexisNexis works with the SADC LA – an organisation that advances and upholds the rule of law – is a synergy between the two organisations, which they will always treasure. ‘May the equipment help SADC LA to continue advancing the rule of law without fear or favour. You can continue to count on our support,’ Ms van Wyk said.
Chief Executive Officer of the SADC LA, Stanley Nyamanhindi, launched the new SADC LA website at the function. He added that legal practitioners will be able to put their information on the website, which will be available to the rest of the world immediately, adding that the reason behind the information being available is so that legal practitioners are recognised on a regional and global scale, and if a client is looking for a legal practitioner in good standing, that legal practitioner’s details will be available to them. He added that this is done through the region’s collective effort. He said that in a small way the SADC LA is a representative for all legal practitioners. ‘When we use the voice, it is backed by presence and existence that is consistent with our partners, which is consistent with the world we live in today,’ Mr Nyamanhindi said.
Legal practitioners will also be able to register for the upcoming SADC LA annual general meeting that will be held in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe from 8 to 11 August. Click here to register.
Kgomotso Ramotsho Cert Journ (Boston) Cert Photography (Vega) is the news reporter at De Rebus.