Limpopo advocates raise money for Pupillage Trust
The Limpopo Society of Advocates (LSOA) hosted its inaugural annual fundraising golf day at the Polokwane Golf Club on Friday in an effort to raise funds for the Limpopo Society of Advocates Pupillage Trust Fund.
The competition was in a fourball alliance (two scores to count) format and 68 players participated.
Limpopo High Court Judge President Ephraim Makgoba opened the event with a shot from the first tee and Judge George Phatudi officiated at the prize-giving ceremony.
The overall winners were Mafala Vhutshilo, Mpho Matsi, Sepadi Mosomane and Sarel Nong. Mpho Makado and Wayden Peceur were the nearest to the pin on the
8th and 11th hole respectively, while Siswe Mbili and Nelson Marais had the longest drive on the second and the 18th hole respectively.
Honorary secretary of the society and a practitioner in the Limpopo High Court, Advocate Cindy Marais explained that the
LSOA is an affiliate member of the General Council of the Bar of South Africa (GCB) and Legal Practice Council (LPC) accredited training provider.
“The LSOA was constituted in 2015, in the advent of the official opening of the new Polokwane High Court with its first pupillage intake in 2016, and since then, the society has successfully trained close to 200 students, who have entered the law profession,” Marais added. According to Marais, the majority of the student intake come from underprivileged backgrounds in the province and the LSOA’s mission is not to exclude aspirant legal practitioners on financial grounds. “We have consistently seen students struggle to sustain themselves financially while undergoing pupillage training. Most survive on benevolence of mentors and other practising members of the LSOA and we have identified a need to establish a pupillage fund to cater for the needs of pupils, whether it be through the provision of daily meals or by allocating financial stipends for those who may be in need of such assistance,” Marais said.