Being a lawyer in South Africa is a privilege – and lawyers need to understand that with that privilege comes responsibility in a job that should not be seen as a ticket to undeserved riches.
That is the view of Max Boqwana, who was recently appointed president of the Southern African Development Community Lawyers’ Association (SADCLA).
Port Elizabeth attorney and Thabo Mbeki Foundation CEO Boqwana was appointed at the foundation’s annual conference and general meeting held in Maputo, Mozambique, last week.
Boqwana takes up the position after serving as vice-president to James Banda for two years. Before being appointed vice-president, he was the association’s treasurer.
“I’ve always understood that being a lawyer in our country and region is a privilege, but I think my generation has the responsibility to understand that we must use our privilege for the benefit of others.
“It’s a huge task to undertake in an environment where self interest has become the norm . . . when many people think being a lawyer is a ticket to making large, undeserved sums of money,” Boqwana said.
Boqwana boasts experience from a string of leadership positions he has held since he obtained his degree in law from Rhodes University in 2004.
The eminent attorney cut his teeth in the legal fraternity as a candidate attorney at Pillay Meyer Attorneys in Korsten in 2005 before eventually moving on to senior partner at the then Boqwana Loon and Connellan law firm.
The former president of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers is currently juggling his responsibilities as the director of the Boqwana Burns law firm and co-chair of the Law Society of South Africa, among several other commitments.
As he takes up his new position, Boqwana has plans to curb division – in terms of language, democracy and economic development – within the Southern African region.
This to allow for the smooth operation of the association which accommodates representatives from the 15 countries of the region.
“I have noticed that our region is very divided in the sense of language barriers, poverty, political climates so much that it has become clear that we cannot use a one-size-fits-all approach in running the organisation to take care of these issues,” he said.
“We have colleagues who have been working in difficult conditions in the likes of the DRC, Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
“So in light of such struggles we are beginning to give each country a specific responsibility, to lead a specific programme in relations to the respective situations facing our colleagues.”
In 2014, Boqwana expressed concern at the vacuum of leadership in the legal profession.
Asked if these concerns still stood, he said: “To a greater extent, collectively as the legal profession we have made some strides in ensuring that more younger people are brought into the leadership of the profession, and more women are central in leading the profession, so at least from 2014 until now, progress has been made.”
He said greater progress would be made in terms of representation with the new legal practice council to be elected in October in South Africa.
“The council must be 50% women, 70% black and 30% white,” he said.
The SADCLA is a community of lawyers of the 15 countries of the Southern African region, represented by the various law societies and bar councils from each of the countries, whose principal task is the promotion of the rule of law and human rights in the region without fear or favour.
Boqwana has been elected to lead an executive of six along with 26 councillors from the region.