Legal Aid SA practitioners Pierre Fourie and Phelancia Kwenane; Lebeba Elmokadam from William Pescod High School and educator Mischke Johnson; Carter McDillon from Kimberley Boys’ High School; and Legal Aid SA practitioners Makgatho Mashapa, Angela Jakkals and Megan Kleinsmith. Picture: Supplied
LEGAL Aid SA’s Kimberley office hosted a group of pupils from Kimberley Boys’ High School, Floors High School, Kimberley Technical High School, St Boniface High School and William Pescod High School on a one-day job shadowing programme earlier this week.
Legal Aid SA spokesperson in the Northern Cape and Western Cape,, Boitumelo Boshu, said the pupils experienced a day in the life of Legal Aid SA lawyers, where they visited the district and regional courts.
“The group of pupils who are in Grade 9 and Grade 11 are also participants in the provincial moot court competition that will take place later on in the year. The pupils were exposed to how Legal Aid SA lawyers prepare for a busy day at the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court and how accused persons are prosecuted and defended. They listened in on sentencing proceedings, where a mother gave testimony on the impact of her child’s death. On-the-job exposure will empower these pupils in their schooling and career choices,” said Boshu.
Floors High School pupil Zandile Zozi found her experience in court to be “intellectually and emotionally challenging” and believed that more had to be done in terms of implementing the tenets of the Constitution and fighting gender-based violence and femicide.