Legal groups unite for profession’s transformation
The legal profession in South Africa is moving toward a unified front, with multiple associations rallying behind a shared push for transformation and structural change.
Advocates for Transformation (AFT) hosted a gala dinner on June 27, 2026, under the theme “The Year of Reshaping the Bar.” The event drew members from across the country, along with guest speakers including the Ambassador of the State of Palestine, Hanan Jarrar, and the Chairperson of the Pan African Bar Association of South Africa (PABASA), Muzi Sikhakhane SC.
Uniting under a single cause
Sikhakhane, speaking at the dinner, said the goals of PABASA align with those of AFT, the Black Lawyers Association (BLA), and the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL). He praised AFT for leading the charge in bringing associations together, arguing that collaboration—not competition—would shift the legal system’s center of gravity.
“We should push back against unicentric ways of seeing life,” he said. “We work better together.”
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The Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) and NADEL President, Machini Motloung, called the event’s theme a “battle cry.” He said the legal profession’s briefing patterns and courtroom trends remain tied to historical divides, and that transformation requires more than just diversifying faces within existing structures.
“True transformation demands the total dismantling of exclusionary practices,” Motloung said. “We are here to reshape the bar so that it genuinely reflects the demographics and constitutional ideals of a free South Africa.”
He pledged that the LSSA and NADEL would stand with AFT to challenge corporate and state briefing patterns that perpetuate inequality. The goal, he said, is to disrupt the status quo and build a profession that is “accessible, equitable, and unapologetically transformative.”
Historically, the attorneys’ and advocates’ professions have operated in separate silos. Motloung argued that breaking down these barriers is essential for real change. “AFT, the LSSA, NADEL, and others must become a single, unified force,” he said.
Expanding the movement beyond borders
The President of the Law Society of Lesotho, Lintle Tuke, announced plans to launch an AFT branch in Lesotho, along with the establishment of a formal bar association. He framed AFT’s mission as larger than individual advancement—it’s about justice, democratizing the profession, and ensuring the bar reflects the people it serves.
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Tuke acknowledged South Africa’s struggles with immigration, poverty, and unemployment, but rejected solutions rooted in fear or division. “We advocate for Africa without borders, dignity without borders, and the rule of law without borders,” he said.
The BLA President, Nkosana Mvundlela, said the association takes pride in its role in uniting the profession. He noted that attorneys and advocates constantly remind each other they are not competitors, but complementary forces. “We are not in this room because we want any favor,” he said. “We are here because we are building the unity of the profession.”
The Legal Practice Act of 2014, he added, calls for legal practitioners to unify the profession at every opportunity. During South Africa’s democratic era, the law has evolved to regulate both attorneys and advocates under a single framework—a shift Mvundlela said must continue.
“The strength of AFT will always be the strength of the BLA,” he said. “A weak AFT means a weak BLA. If we don’t engage with the consciousness of lawyers—not just the legal framework—we lose the purpose of the Constitution.”
A global fight for justice
Ambassador Jarrar drew parallels between AFT’s mission and the Palestinian struggle, framing both as battles to ensure the law serves equality, not privilege. “Rights must not depend upon power, and justice cannot be reserved for some while denied to others,” she said.
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She praised South Africa’s role in upholding international law, particularly its case at the International Court of Justice alleging genocide by Israel. “The law’s true purpose is to restrain power when power believes itself beyond restraint,” she said.
Jarrar also highlighted Palestine’s economic and humanitarian crises, noting that advocates carry a unique responsibility in such struggles. “Justice has always depended on courageous people willing to defend it before it became popular,” she said.
The South African Constitution’s emphasis on dignity, equality, and freedom, she added, has inspired movements far beyond its borders—including in Palestine.
The event marked a rare moment of alignment among legal associations, but the real test will be whether the momentum translates into tangible changes in briefing patterns, courtroom representation, and the profession’s broader culture. For now, the message is clear: the fight for a transformed legal system is no longer fragmented.