Courts

MBABANE - The Law Society of Eswatini (LSE) has clarified that the employee of SM Jele Attorneys who allegedly brutalised his girlfriend is actually not an attorney.

The incident happened on Monday and the police took it upon themselves to visit the assaulted woman, who opened a case against Sbulelo Jele, and recorded a statement.

This was confirmed by Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, yesterday.

The LSE issued a statement yesterday disputing that Sbulelo is a lawyer, as claimed by many on social media, where the assaulted woman posted pictures of her bruised face. A number of concerned members of the public questioned why the law society was silent when ‘one of their own’ had purportedly committed such an act of gender-based violence (GBV).

However, the law society says Sbulelo is neither an admitted attorney nor its member.

The Law Society, a statutory body established under the Legal Practitioners Act of 1964, confirmed that Sibulelo is not a member of the law society. In a statement, it addressed recent media reports originating from S.M. Jele Attorneys, which had placed Sibulelo on special leave following allegations under the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act.

The LSE pointed out that he is neither an attorney nor an articled clerk. The Law Society revealed that it had previously engaged with SM Jele Attorneys last year after reports emerged that Sbulelo was representing himself as a legal practitioner.

At that time, the law firm assured the LSE that Sbulelo was not appearing in court or holding himself out as a lawyer.

The Law Society’s statement also included a strong condemnation of all forms of violence, especially GBV. The LES reaffirmed its commitment to protecting vulnerable persons. It expressed an expectation that due process would be followed regarding the serious allegations.

Full article available in our paper.

The woman allegedly assaulted by the aspiring lawyer. (Pic: Courtesy)