Compiled by Barbara Whittle

Jan van Rensburg (left) and Mvuso Notyesi have been elected Co-chairpersons of the Law Society of South Africa.

Mthatha attorney Mvuso Notyesi and Brits attorney Jan Janse van Rensburg were elected Co-chairpersons of the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) at its annual general meeting in Kempton Park on 2 April.

Mr Notyesi and Mr van Rensburg noted that the role of lawyers in society is not a selfish or self-serving one. Practitioners stood in a privileged position where they can influence developments and support and protect vulnerable members of society.

They added: ‘It is an indictment that, after 22 years of democracy, we are still talking of racism and disparity in briefing patterns. These are urgent matters to be dealt with by the profession and by others through the various charters that have been adopted by government.’ The Co-chairpersons stressed the pressing need to unify the profession in accordance with the Constitution and the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014. They indicated that they would focus on concrete steps to unify the profession, taking clear direction from the various chapters in the Act as it moves towards implementation.

About the Co-chairpersons

Human rights lawyer and activist, Mvuso Notyesi is the current President of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL). He holds the BProc and LLB degrees from the University of Transkei and was admitted as an attorney in 1999 after completing his articles and attending the LSSA’s School for Legal Practice in East London. He has since then practised as director at Mvuso Notyesi Incorporated.

Mr Notyesi has been a council member of the Cape Law Society since 2011 and is currently its Vice President. He has been a member of the Board of Legal Aid South Africa since 2011; and he represents the LSSA on the Judicial Service Commission. Mr Notyesi has a passion for education and was appointed a part-time lecturer at the University of Transkei in 1999 and as an instructor at the LSSA’s School for Legal Practice in East London last year. He is also an examiner for the Attorneys Admission Examination. Mr Notyesi is Chairperson of the Notyesi Foundation, which awards bursaries to disadvantaged students to attend university.

Jan van Rensburg has represented the Law Society of the Northern Provinces (LSNP) on the LSSA Council since 2001. He has twice served as president of the LSNP, in 2008 and 2011. He has also served on the North West Attorneys Council since 1997. He sits on a number of committees at both the LSSA and LSNP and on the Remuneration Committee of the Attorneys Fidelity Fund. He has represented the LSSA on the Council for Debt Collectors since 2009.

Mr Van Rensburg has the BCom (University of Pretoria) and BProc (Unisa) degrees, as well as an Advanced Diploma in Labour Law from the University of Johannesburg. He was admitted as an attorney in 1984 and is also a notary and conveyancer. He practises as a sole practitioner at Jan van Rensburg Attorneys in Brits.

Compiled by Barbara Whittle, communication manager, Law Society of South Africa, barbara@lssa.org.za

This article was first published in De Rebus in 2016 (May) DR 18.