By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Advocate Christopher Daluxolo “Dali” Mpofu has been called to a disciplinary inquiry before the Legal Practice Council’s (LPC) disciplinary committee.
LPC is the statutory body which, together with its provincial councils, regulates the affairs of and exercises jurisdiction over all legal practitioners (attorneys and advocates), both practising and non-practising, and candidate legal practitioners.
Mpofu is facing seven charges of breaching the code of conduct for legal practitioners — including bringing the profession into disrepute, impugning people’s characters and failing in his duty to the court.
According to the Times Live, The LPC has asked Mpofu to appear before its disciplinary committee on April 30.
In March 2021, during the State Capture Commission, Mpofu was criticized for telling the late Minister Pravin Gordhan’s legal counsel, advocate Michelle le Roux, to “shut up” during proceedings. Chairperson Raymond Zondo described Mpofu’s behavior as “unacceptable.”
Incredibly, the LPC cleared Mpofu of misconduct on the most absurd grounds.
The failure to act against Mpofu provided licence to others in the profession to treat presiding judges and colleagues with similar levels of contempt. In October a group of retired judges expressed concern about the lack of respect towards judicial officers coupled with a general lack of decorum.
Additionally, in March 2022, the Johannesburg Society of Advocates found Mpofu guilty of breaching its ethical code. He was given five days to address the society regarding appropriate disciplinary actions. Mpofu labeled the ruling as “ridiculous” and signaled his intention to appeal.
At the Section 194 Inquiry, Mpofu admitted to threatening chairperson Qubudile Dyantyi and claimed that former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela was guilty of criminal conduct because of the way her affidavit to the inquiry had been commissioned.
After falsely accusing Madonsela of not being an advocate, Mpofu also repeated insults that had been hurled against her by then President Jacob Zuma’s supporters – a strategy she slammed as ‘low’.
Mpofu has a background in law and has worked on various legal matters, including human rights cases, constitutional law, and civil litigation.