The MK Party rejects the politically motivated attacks on advocate Dali Mpofu and advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, demanding the cessation of their persecution by the Legal Practice Council.
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) has condemned the recent reports claiming that advocate Dali Mpofu and former public protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane are facing disciplinary action from the Legal Practice Council (LPC ) for supposedly bringing the legal profession into disrepute.
The party dismisses these claims as politically motivated, equating them to ''nothing but a textbook case of political persecution masked as professional oversight".
In a statement, spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela highlighted that this attack on Mpofu and Mkhwebane is part of a broader attempt to silence those who challenge the status quo.
"The legal establishment and its captured regulatory bodies have declared open season on advocates who refuse to bow to the altar of white monopoly capital, neoliberal consensus, and constitutional cowardice," said Ndhlela.
The MK Party argues that both Mpofu and Mkhwebane have consistently shown bravery in advocating for the marginalised and holding the powerful to account.
Ndhlela noted that Mpofu has long been a thorn in the side of the establishment - not because he has acted unethically, but because he refuses to be their puppet. His principled representation of clients deemed "untouchable" by the mainstream - from political leaders to whistleblowers - is rooted in the constitutional right to legal representation.
''It is not he who brings the profession into disrepute, but rather those who want to turn our courts into safe spaces for the rich and powerful,'' he said.
Ndhlela also said Mkhwebane is being hounded not for violating the law, but for daring to interpret the Constitution through the lens of the poor and landless. Her tenure as Public Protector was marked by an unapologetic commitment to holding even the most sacred of cows accountable.
According to the MK Party, Mkhwebane’s critics are those who benefitted most from her removal, and the attacks against her are an effort to silence transformative legal minds.
"What we are witnessing is the criminalisation of black excellence that refuses to conform," said Ndhlela.
The MK Party likened the current situation to the political witch-hunts of the apartheid regime, where activists were persecuted for their commitment to justice.
They view the actions of the LPC not just as a matter of professional discipline, but as part of a deliberate attempt to purge legal professionals who pose a threat to the post-apartheid ruling class.
The party is calling for an end to the politically driven persecution of both advocates, urging Parliament and progressive legal bodies to examine the politicisation of regulatory bodies.
"We call on all freedom-loving South Africans to see through the smoke and mirrors and recognise that these attacks are not about law: they are about power, control, and the suppression of transformation.
''The revolution will not be regulated by cowards,'' said Ndhlela.
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
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