Zuma promotes top legal eagles
Proud moment after trio conferred senior counsel status
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has promoted three East London advocates to senior counsels (SC).
Members of the Bhisho Bar of Advocates Mziwandile Templeton Ntsaluba, Perry Guy Beningfield, and Mkhuseli Goodman Nzondo, were conferred the status by Zuma on December 2.
The honour is only bestowed on distinguished practising advocates and means they may now add “SC” after their names.
Also known as “taking silk”, an advocate has to undergo a thorough process before being considered as an SC.
First the advocate has to be supported by senior peers in the legal fraternity in an application that goes to the Bar Council of Advocates.
Once approved there, the application is forwarded to the judge president who also must approve it before it goes to both the minister of justice and then the president.
The founder of the South African National Association of Democratic Lawyers, Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, said it was a great honour.
“It is an indication that the individual is recognised by his peers, judge president, justice minister and the president as an exceptional leader whose skills are recognised at national level,” he said.
Ntsebeza said being conferred senior counsel meant an advocate had reached the pinnacle of their careers and the next step was to be elevated to the bench as a judge.
Ntsaluba, the Bhisho Society of Advocates chairman, said it was an honour for the Bhisho bar.
“This small achievement means a lot to us as it shows that we are growing from strength to strength.”
Ntsaluba was born in Tsomo on August 26 1956 and obtained a B.Proc degree from the University of Fort Hare in 1979 followed by an LL.B degree from Unisa in 1995.
He was admitted as an advocate in April 1999. Between August and October 2000 he acted as a judge at the Bhisho High Court.
Ndzondo holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of Fort Hare and an LL.B from Rhodes University which he obtained in 1976 and 1984 respectively.
He was born on June 15 1952. Ndzondo has been practising as an advocate since 1991 appearing in both the High Court and the Labour Court.
Ndzondo said he was inspired to study law because of the injustice of the apartheid laws.
“The laws were imposed on innocent people – students getting detained, innocent citizens getting killed and harassed for standing for their rights.
“That is when I decided to study law so that I could try to shape the status of the country for the better.”
Beningfield said the promotion signalled the growth of the Bhisho bar and evidence of the level of trust from fellow practitioners.
Beningfield was born on January 13 1963 and was admitted as advocate on March 15 1990.
Beningfiled boasts impressive qualifications including B.Com LL.B (Rhodes) LL.M (Commercial Law) PG Dip Advanced Labour Law (Cape Town) and MBA (Rhodes).