Diepkloof law clinic tackles matters at no charge
The initiative which was held at Diepkloof Hall in collaboration with the Matlhogonolo Community Outreach Centre (MCOC).
The Diepkloof law clinic spearheaded by Lawtons Africa held its monthly legal workshop, to discuss wills and inheritance over the weekend.
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The initiative which was held at Diepkloof Hall in collaboration with the Matlhogonolo Community Outreach Centre (MCOC), offered free legal education and consultations to residents as part of its pro bono work.
Sarah Goldman, Head of Pro Bono and Citizenship at Lawtons Africa said the purpose of the workshops was to link communities with expert advice on legal issues faced by locals.
“Our portfolio is community upliftment, so we always had a pro bono department.
“We wanted to reimagine the department operating differently instead of just offering these services but we became more accessible to more communities to ensure that those who needed pro bono assistance were able to find us easily without having to travel far.
“We thought how about we bring these services to them and subsequently we learnt of the challenges in the community and we created a programme around that,” she explained.
September 12 to 16 marks the annual National Wills Week by the Law Society of South Africa (LSSS) to encourage citizens to get their wills drafted for free across the country.
According to research conducted in the county, at least 70% of individuals pass away without a valid will.
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Goldman said legal education was imperative to empower communities on their rights and decision powers. She further applauded Wills week for its ability to achieve this and starting the conversation.
“I think through such initiatives, all aimed at creating awareness and education people can make informed decisions,” she said.
“We want to make sure that everyone we drafting for understand the value of it and know what they have to gain from it.”
Prince Phetoe, Founder of MCOC and his team who mobilised the community awareness campaign and handed out pamphlets said the response from residents has been overwhelming and overall positive as the programme was addressing challenges.
“We have partnered with Lawtons Africa, which we felt it was a need as many issues around the community are law based and we know such services are not easily accessible especially in black communities.
“So for us it was imperative that we jump on the opportunity and maximize the success of this initiative,” He explained.
Every month since June, the law firm based in Sandton has held an array of workshops discussing new legal topics at each sitting.
“The biggest challenge is that there is lack of access to information and resources and often our people don’t know how to enforce their rights so we are happy that people are seeing the impact of the programme,” He concluded.
The law firm has embarked on a project to translate tenant agreements and documentation into all official South African languages for the law clinic members.
This will be done as a further step to ensure that residents are able to understand clauses and enforce their rights.
The remaining two workshops will be held in October to discuss children’s responsibilities and rights and will conclude in November discussing marriage and divorce.
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