Residents from Gugulethu gathered at Ikhwezi Community Hall for a legal awareness event on Monday 18 August.
The event was organised by a community activist Samkele Nani in partnership with the office of the Ward 39 councillor Thembinkosi Mjuza.
Some government entities, including Legal Aid South Africa, Human Rights Commission and the Department of Justice, attended the event.
Nani, a Bachelor of Law graduate, described the programme as part of bringing the services closer to the people. He said the objective is to educate and empower people about their rights.
“Since they know that I have a law background, most of them approached me to enquire about various things, including wills, criminal record expungement, divorce, domestic violence etc. And the majority of them have no funds. Then I decided to talk to Mjuza and we came up with this idea of organising such an event where they will interact directly with these legal experts,” explained Nani.
He described the event as a free legal workshop which provided free basic legal information.
Nani said the objective is to open a legal clinic in Gugulethu where people can go without travelling long distances.
Nomawethu Mtebele, Head of Office at Legal Aid South Africa in the Athlone office, described the event as public education.
She said they are there to educate people about their rights. She highlighted evictions, property disputes, wills and land matters as some of the challenges most people grapple with.
“We are here to advise them on where to go and how to access justice because it is vital for people to know where to go and to exercise their rights,” she said.
Mtebele stressed the importance of a will, saying it is an excellent guiding document at the time of death.
She added that they would love to have an office in Gugulethu but the challenge is to get an office space.
Resident Miriam Mbele (86) from NY 99 described the gathering as educational.
“I am a divorcee. I was married in 1963. At that time, our marriage certificates were signed with a pen.
“After we separated, my ex-husband went to the Eastern Cape and died later. His family wanted to evict me from the house. When I went to Home Affairs to ask for a marriage certificate, I found out that I was not married.
“Our marriage was not registered,” said Mbele, adding that she is worried that her children will be evicted from the house once she is dead.
