Grocott's Mail
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Saturday, June 14
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Grocott's Mail
    • NEWS
      • Courts & Crime
      • Features
      • Politics
      • People
      • Health & Well-being
    • SPORT
      • News
      • Results
      • Sports Diary
      • Club Contacts
      • Columns
      • Sport Galleries
      • Sport Videos
    • OPINION
      • Election Connection
      • Makana Voices
      • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
      • Newtown… Old Eyes
      • Incisive View
      • Your Say
    • ARTSLIFE
      • Cue
        • Cue Archives
      • Makana Sharp!
      • Visual Art
      • Literature
      • Food
      • Festivals
      • Community Arts
      • Going Places
    • OUR TOWN
      • What’s on
      • Spiritual
      • Emergency & Well-being
      • Covid-19
      • Safety
      • Civic
      • Municipality
      • Weather
      • Properties
        • Grahamstown Properties
      • Your Town, Our Town
    • OUTSIDE
      • Enviro News
      • Gardening
      • Farming
      • Science
      • Conservation
      • Motoring
      • Pets/Animals
    • ECONOMIX
      • Business News
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Personal Finance
    • EDUCATION
      • Education NEWS
      • Education OUR TOWN
      • Education INFO
    • EDITORIAL
    Grocott's Mail
    You are at:Home»Uncategorized»Mandelas land Law Clinic in hot water
    Uncategorized

    Mandelas land Law Clinic in hot water

    Grocott's MailBy Grocott's MailJuly 25, 2013No Comments2 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Rhodes University Law Clinic (RULC) faced severe criticism this week for representing and allegedly funding litigation for 17 Mandela family applicants in their case against the former President’s grandson, Mandla Mandela, since some of them are not indigent.

    Rhodes University Law Clinic (RULC) faced severe criticism this week for representing and allegedly funding litigation for 17 Mandela family applicants in their case against the former President’s grandson, Mandla Mandela, since some of them are not indigent.

    The Clinic normally only assists economically disadvantaged people. The applicants demanded the return of the remains of three of Nelson Mandela’s grandchildren from Mvezo Great Place to Qunu.

    The university defended the clinic’s decision in a statement, saying: “At the time of the instruction it was established that a number of the applicants were indigent. Indigence is assessed on an individual basis, and is determined on the basis of a Means Test as applied by Legal Aid South Africa.”

    RULC director Prof Jobst Bodenstein said the clinic found the interests of justice were best served by representing all the parties in one application.

    When asked why the other wealthy parties in the dispute couldn’t hire private representation and join the non-indigent applicants in the proceedings, Bodenstein said, “The fact of the matter is that the Law Clinic was approached by indigent applicants, I can’t talk on behalf of the non-indigents.”

    In a press statement, Rhodes Director of Special Projects Sue Smailes added, “Once the Law Clinic had made the decision to represent the applicants it had a duty to do all that was needed to advance those individuals’ interests and secure their rights.”

    Bodenstein said a further reason for taking the case was “the legal and human rights issues involved, which included the conflict between the decision making of tribal authorities as against the right to equality and the rights of women”.

    The university said clients are not charged a fee and costs are only recovered if RULC is successful in obtaining a cost order.

    Rhodes Vice Chancellor Dr Saleem Badat said in a press statement: “The case has not cost the RULC anything except the time of Mr Hayes, who is a salaried employee of Rhodes University.”

    Previous ArticleKarate season kicks off at Fish River Sun
    Next Article Paperight Young Writers’ Anthology: Generation creative
    Grocott's Mail

      Comments are closed.

      Code of Ethics and Conduct
      GROCOTT’S SUBSCRIPTION
      RMR
      Listen to RMR


      Humans of Makhanda

      Humans of Makhanda

      Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

      © 2025 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.