The Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund (LPFF) will be extending its service to the Free State with the launch of its community outreach programme in Welkom. This is a statutory body under the Legal Practice Act, protecting South Africans from financial loss due to attorney theft or dishonesty.
The launch is set to take place on Saturday, 16 August, in the Thabong Community Hall where the organisation leadership – led by Motlatsi Molefe, chief executive officer (CEO) – will address members and engage with members of the community on the objective of the programme.
“The spotlight will be on legal accountability and the LPFF’s unveiling of a bold new initiative to empower communities and tackle legal misconduct,” said Thabiso Senatla, spokesperson for the organisation. He said incidents of attorneys engaging in misconduct and the defrauding of clients, promoted the programme.
“Since 2018, 57 attorneys have been disbarred for misconduct, with some stealing between R1,5 million and R5 million from unsuspecting clients. These abuses erode faith in the legal system. The LPFF is raising awareness, publicly, transparently, and community by community. This event marks the start of a national awareness drive to educate the public on how to report dishonest attorneys and claim compensation when money or property is stolen,” said Senatla.
He said the entity aims at highlighting legal accountability in South Africa during the upcoming outreach in the Free State. “Instances of attorney misconduct have dominated recent headlines, but the stories that matter most often remain unheard, those of ordinary community members seeking justice and recourse,” said Senatla.
The proceedings are set start at 10:00 and continue until 12:00.
