Legal Education Officer of the Pan African Bar Association of South Africa, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC, said the organisation plans to open a National School of Advocacy.

By Kgomotso Ramotsho

The Pan African Bar Association of South Africa (PABASA) elected members to their national executive committee (NEC) at their first Annual General Meeting in Johannesburg on 19 January. Legal Education Officer of PABASA, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC – in his introductory remarks – spoke about programmes that PABASA has provisionally decided on. He said the first item on PABASA’s list is the National School of Advocacy and pointed out that the National School of Advocacy will be responsible for strengthening and continuing legal education in South Africa (SA).

Mr Ngcukaitobi added the National Advocacy School will be run independently and have its own faculties of teachers, which will compromise of judges, legal practitioners and academics. He said there has been much interest from numerous parties in the National School of Advocacy and that a number of people have approached PABASA and volunteered their services. He mentioned that Deputy Judge President of the Gauteng Local Division in Johannesburg, Phineas Mojapelo, made an offer to PABASA that he will make his judges available to teach at the National School of Advocacy. Mr Ngcukaitobi added that, Deputy Judge President Mojapelo, said there is a gap between what legal practitioners do in practice and what the judges expect them to do.

Mr Ngcukaitobi pointed out that one of the ways to close the gap (as mentioned above) is in the faculty and training level. He added that the second item on the list is the Cross-Border Centre for Mediation and Arbitration. He said the centre will concentrate primarily on issues in SA, but will also have an African focus. He added that PABASA is looking into opening a Public Interest Law Centre to focus on the community and interests of historically disadvantaged people.

The elected PABASA NEC is –

• Muzi Sikhakhane SC (Chairperson);
• Nasreen Rajab-Budlender (Deputy Chairperson);
• Xoliswa Sibeko (Secretary);
• Elizabeth Baloyi-Mere (Deputy Secretary);
• Steven Budlender SC (Treasurer);
• Kathy Dehlu Mhango (Briefing Patterns Officer);
• Sha’ista Kazee (Gender Equality Officer);
• Tembeka Ngcukaitobi (Legal Education Officer); and
• Gcina Malindi SC (Stakeholder Engagement Officer).

Kgomotso Ramotsho Cert Journ (Boston) Cert Photography (Vega) is the news reporter at De Rebus.