'A beautiful story ...'

Three generations of Eastern Cape-born advocates were among the team of top legal minds who successfully convinced a full Bench of judges to order the release of the Public Protector’s highly anticipated state capture report. Advocates Dumisa Ntsebeza, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi and Dali Mpofu, who played instrumental roles in one of the country’s biggest cases, have been lauded by a political analyst for ‘a beautiful South African story’, says a report in The Herald. Representing the EFF, COPE and the UDM, they – along with the team representing the Democratic Alliance – argued for the release of the report. Political analyst Professor Mcebisi Ndletyana said the court’s ruling reaffirmed the independence of the judiciary. ‘It’s something that’s always been known, but we became anxious about it because of the occurrence of abuse of power. There was always that fear that the corrupt elite would get to them, that they would want to cripple the last defence,’ Ndletyana said. Ntsebeza, Ngcukaitobi and Mpofu were social media sensations, hailed as giants making South Africa proud, and Ndletyana said they debunked the stereotype that the country did not have enough black silks. ‘It was a beautiful picture, three generations of black lawyers,’ he said. ‘It is a demonstration of what people are able to do when given the opportunity.’

Backgrounder tracing the rise of three

Full report in The Herald (subscription needed)