The Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund (LPFF) will be extending its service to the Free State through its community outreach programme in Welkom. This is a statutory body under the Legal Practice Act, protecting South Africans from financial loss due to theft by, or the dishonesty of, attorneys.
The LPFF leadership, with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Motlatsi Molefe at the helm, will on Saturday, 16 August, address members of the community on the objective of the programme. The proceedings in the Thabong Community Hall are set to start at 10:00 and continue until 12:00.
“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 Molefe.
He said incidents of attorneys engaging in misconduct and the defrauding of clients, prompt 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 Molefe.
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 Molefe.
