By Bahle Gama
Claiming to be a ‘legal representative’ resulted in former Ward 4 Councillor Sikhatsi Dlamini being advised to get a certification to own the title legally.
Appearing before the Commission of Inquiry representing two different people in unrelated cases, Dlamini introduced himself as a legal representative of either complainant.
The Commission issued this advice after Dlamini had disclosed that he had been told several times that he did not have the authority to represent anyone in the court of law because he did not have the qualifications of an attorney.
He told the Commission that he has a right to legally represent anyone who seeks advice from him according to the Constitution.
ALSO READ: Foreign Affairs Minister receives courtesy call from Moroccan Chargé d’Affaires, strengthen ties
In a brief back-and-forth with Vice Chairperson of the Commission Judge Mzwandile Fakudze, Dlamini insisted that he is a legal representative, and nothing would change that.
In one of the matters, Dlamini was representing a woman who had come to report that the office of the Master of the High Court failed to stop her stepmother from taking a vehicle registered under her name.
Instead, when the complainant approached the office with a bluebook to prove ownership, she was told she needed an order from the police because it was irreversible once the documentation was submitted to the office.
Upon being told so, the woman went to Dlamini for assistance who helped her take the matter to court because she could not afford a lawyer.
“The matter appeared before then Principal Judge Maphalala and he ordered in her favour. However, the Law Society was not pleased and said I pretended to be a lawyer and a case was opened against me,” Dlamini told the Commission.
ALSO READ: ‘Master of the High Court officers rude, hostile’
The matter appeared before Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi who ruled out that Dlamini was not supposed to have represented the woman.
However, according to Dlamini, Nhlabatsi never put the ruling into writing to date because he would have appealed it.
The matter also appeared before Judge Mlangeni who said he was not going to listen to what Dlamini had to say, “because I did not have the capacity to represent anyone.”
The matter also went to Judge Mlangeni who said he wasn’t going to listen to what I had to say because I did not have the capacity to do so.
“Go to the University and get an appropriate certification to be legally recognised as a legal representative Dlamini,” advised Commissioner Judge Majahenkhaba.
