Article by Andy Bester. Published in the April edition of the Advocate.
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The majority of south africans cannot afford legal representation. In 2011 the average monthly household income was R9 962. The average household income of a black family was R5 803 and that of households headed by a woman, black or white, R5 903. However much these figures may have improved, consider the cost of legal sevices: in Johannesburg, members of the bar typically charge from R6 000 to R 8 000 per day immediately after pupillage. Two decades after the dawn of democracy, the majority of South Africans cannot afford legal services and race and gender still substantially determine access to the justice system. The inability of millions to access legal services is not only unjust; it also perpetuates inequality, thus maintaining an untransformed society. The definition of transformation remains the topic of much debate.
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