I was born in Matatiele in the rustic part of the Eastern Cape province and I graduated with an LLB degree from the North West University, Mafikeng campus. In search for success, I have been able to rise from a position of a security officer to my recent appointment to the Constitutional Court to clerk for Justice Z Yacoob in 2009. I joined the Durban office of the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) as a Candidate Attorney on 08 January 2007. This was my first professional exposure in the legal fraternity as a new human rights lawyer. The core reason I opted for a public interest law firm is due to my ancient commitment to the highest standard of service to humanity, where my life can touch that of others positively.

My experience at the LRC, since day one to date, has been stimulating. The atmosphere in the workplace is conducive for a lawyer in training. It has assisted me to acclimatize in KwaZulu-Natal. I never anticipated to work together with such esteemed learned persons including those, such as George Bizos, who represented Nelson Mandela during the Rivonia Trial. This is both a privilege and a blessing.

I have a good relationship with my colleagues on and off the field. The opportunity of working under the wings of skilled attorneys has imparted a remarkable contribution to my career. They have ensured that I have all the requisite abilities of a competent attorney. This journey has enhanced my confidence, knowledge and skills in the practice of law. This has allowed me to grow professionally as a lawyer and I believe that I am now in a position to go back to my rural area and contribute in addressing the hardships that still present themselves. I have met many professional acquaintances with whom I shall maintain contacts.

I have amongst other things been practically involved in consulting with clients, giving advice, drafting pleadings and representing clients in the court of law. The rotational system of CAs at the LRC has exposed me to various areas of the LRC’s work, including in the areas of land, housing, education and women’s rights.

My work in housing rights involved representing clients from informal settlements (eg., Annette Drive, Crossmore informal settlements, etc.) who were facing imminent evictions. The majority of residents in informal settlements are indigent and vulnerable. I have on numerous occasions personally witnessed their distressing living conditions. The absence of running water, electricity and overcrowding always made me go an extra mile when handling these types of cases. At times we had to consult during late hours of the day in order to prepare court papers.

In the area of children’s rights and education, we acted on behalf of schools from the countryside of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, where learners are receiving their lessons in substandard conditions. In some schools, learners receive their lessons under trees because of a shortage of classrooms. The lack of furniture, staff, running water and improper quintile ranking has been a major problem. We have successfully managed to get new infrastructure on behalf of learners in St Michael Primary School in Umzimkulu and Landulwazi Lower Primary in Msinga, just to mention a few. Temporary classrooms have been secured in other schools and construction of new classrooms is underway.

I have enjoyed working on these cases as they involve children. Children are the most vulnerable in our society and need a quality education in order to improve the standard of living in their impecunious communities. I am delighted to have been part of the LRC. I am confident that I can stand in any court of law to fight for respect, protection and realization of human rights in South Africa and beyond.

Moses Phooko