Mpofu laments legal profession's body for withdrawing 3 of 7 charges against him
Mpofu is charged with, among others, violating the LPC's code of conduct for legal practitioners by bringing the profession into disrepute in several public instances.
Advocates Dali Mpofu and Lerato Moela are representing the MK Party in the case against John Hlophe's designation to the JSC. Picture: Lindsay Dentlinger/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - Advocate Dali Mpofu has lamented the Legal Practice Council (LPC) after it withdrew three of the seven charges against him, claiming the body failed to consult with people mentioned in the previous charge sheet before launching action against him.
Mpofu was meant to appear before the LPC's disciplinary committee earlier on Wednesday, but the hearing did not kick off due to a change in the body's charge sheet and a power outage.
Mpofu is charged with, among others, violating the LPC's code of conduct for legal practitioners by bringing the profession into disrepute in several public instances.
However, the senior legal practitioner has described the charges as laughable and said he would be ready once the disciplinary committee sits, after it was postponed indefinitely.
He addressed the media following Wednesday’s postponement:
“And now they tell us that Chief Justice Maya and Professor Thuli Madonsela have said they want nothing to do with this. How did they do the charges without talking to them? They are the ones who should be embarrassed. You should be asking them why they embarrass themselves like this. Bringing charges and then [being] told by the people who are supposed to be the complainants that takes me out of that nonsensical charge.”
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Mpofu has described the disciplinary hearing into his conduct as “laughable” and an attempt to harass black legal practitioners.
"It's not the first time, some of the people will be old enough to know that it's not the first time that progressive lawyers or progressive professionals are harassed. It happens all the time. It happened even in the 60s with advocates, Bram Fisher.
"So we are the fortunate ones. Griffiths Mxenge and Victoria Mxenge were actually killed simply because the system did not like the kind of law they were practising. The system did not like the kind of clients they were representing. So this kind of circus is nothing really."