Public Protector Adv Kholeka Gcaleka delivered a lecture at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus on 11 July 2024, during which she emphasised the role of community engagement and the Public Protector in upholding and strengthening South Africa’s constitutional democracy.

Adv Gcaleka highlighted the principles of South Africa’s constitutional democracy, established in 1994, adding that the rule of law, transparency, and accountability are the bedrock of the nation's democratic framework.

It is with great sadness that the North-West University (NWU) has taken note of the untimely passing away of Adv Ilyayambwa Mwanawina on 10 July 2024. He was a practicing advocate in the High Court of South Africa and was employed at the Duma Nokwe Group of Advocates in Sandton.

Being appointed to the bench is the pinnacle of achievement for any legal professional, signifying the highest recognition of one’s ability and commitment to justice.  Serving as a judge in the superior courts of the country is a prestigious honour sought after by most in the legal fraternity.   

She is renowned for her legal acumen and dedication to her profession. She has a list of accolades and accomplishments as long as the horizon, but after 22 years of dedicated service, Prof Christa Rautenbach is stepping down from her current role as editor-in-chief of the Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal (PELJ). It is known as the Potchefstroomse Elektroniese Regsblad (PER) in Afrikaans.

Prof Christa Rautenbach, a lecturer at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Law, recently delivered a keynote address titled "Reviving and recognising customary law: traditional leadership and governance among Khoi-San communities" at the Commission on Khoi-San Matters Research Symposium in Cape Town.

The symposium was a collaborative effort between the Commission on Khoi-San Matters and esteemed academic institutions, such as the University of the Western Cape, University of Stellenbosch, University of Johannesburg, Sol Plaatje University and Rhodes University.

In an inequitable world, achieving social justice is central to bringing about a better world. We need a new breed of legal leaders ready to make the law in all its fields and services more accessible to people.

It is time to realise and accept that we, as a species, share a responsibility to work together to safeguard all the environmental systems that regulate the functioning and state of the planet.

Southern African society continues to face a multitude of challenges. High levels of poverty and unemployment, inadequate infrastructure and electricity supply, crime and rising levels of corruption, and the various legacies of colonialism and apartheid all add to the toxic mix threatening lives and livelihoods.

To counter this, the southern African region depends on well-functioning and just legal systems to find socially just responses to these obstacles.

Maricélle Botes’s long journey with the North-West University (NWU) has paid off. This final-year PhD student at the research unit for Law, Justice and Sustainability has been honoured with the Research Excellence Award for Next Generation Researchers in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Law category by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

This is in recognition of her outstanding academic performance and demonstrated potential for contributing significantly to innovation.

The journey of a law student is undoubtably challenging and short, and their time at the North-West University (NWU) has prepared them for the opportunities and obstacles that lie ahead.

Having arrived here a few years ago, they are about to leave and embark on different journeys to try and find appropriate solutions to the issues the global community is currently facing.

On Thursday evening, 12 October, the Faculty of Law hosted a farewell dinner with the theme “Law as a superpower” for the final-year students.