New Appointment
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Pearl Khumalo as Acting Regional Manager for the Durban office. Pearl is a legal professional with over 10 years of experience in the civil society sector, with a strong focus on human rights education, youth empowerment, and career guidance. She has previously served as a Staff Attorney and GBV Champion within the Durban office. We wish her every success as she steps into this role.
Welcome Ahmed Mayet
We are also pleased to welcome Ahmed Mayet who will be assisting the legal team. Ahmed has worked in the public interest litigation sector since being admitted as an attorney. He joined the Johannesburg Legal Resources Centre where he was promoted to Director of that office. He then went on to head the Constitutional Litigation Unit where he was mentored by the late Advocate George Bizos. From time to time, Ahmed was called to the bench to act as Acting Judge in the Labour Court and also at the Johannesburg High Court. Welcome to the team Ahmed!
FAREWELLS
Farewells — Durban
After seven years of dedicated service, Nicole Laljit, Regional Manager for the Durban office, concluded her tenure in January 2026. During her time at ProBono.Org, Nicole introduced meaningful operational improvements and championed initiatives that have had a lasting, positive impact on the communities we serve. Her team has expressed deep appreciation for her exceptional leadership, particularly her commitment to empowering staff and fostering a positive, supportive workplace culture. We extend our sincere gratitude to Nicole and wish her every success in her future endeavours.
Farewells — Johannesburg
At the end of December we also said farewell to Nonkululeko Sibambato, Senior Staff Attorney in the Joburg office. She contributed substantially to her legal portfolio that included labour law, family law, the GBV project and the Community Advice Office Support Programme, as well as overseeing the work of the staff attorneys and interns. We thank her for her dedication and leadership and wish her well in her future endeavours.
Legal Consultant Lesego Vakalisa‘s contract ended in December and we thank her for her invaluable support to the staff attorneys in the Joburg office.
A warm welcome to our 2026 interns
Cape Town
Nhlakanipho Mbatha — LLB, University of KwaZulu-Natal (from Umlazi)
His passion for human rights fuels his desire to advocate for marginalised communities and contribute to a more equitable society. When he is not in the law books, you can find him on the football pitch, chasing goals and balancing life.
Olethuxolo Mhlongo — LLB, University of the Western Cape
She has developed strong skills in statutory interpretation, case analysis, and legal research, complemented by practical experience in client consultations and drafting pleadings at the UWC Law Clinic. Olethuxolo is passionate about advocacy, dispute resolution, and advancing access to justice. She brings discipline, integrity, and a commitment to professional growth to her role at ProBono.Org.
Johannesburg
Fanelesibonge Mbuyazi — LLB, LLM Candidate in Corporate Law, University of Johannesburg
“I am originally from Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal. Growing up in a rural part of Richards Bay, I witnessed the exploitation of vulnerable and elderly community members, an injustice that was deeply rooted in illiteracy. This experience sparked my initial interest in Public Interest Law, particularly in the areas of family law, succession, and customary law. As an intern at ProBono.Org, I wish to gain comprehensive knowledge and practical experience in Public Interest Law, and to understand the real-world dynamics of legal practice, experience that will be invaluable as I work toward integrating this and corporate law into my career.”
Delani Mthembu — LLB, LLM Candidate in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure, UNISA
“My academic journey has led me to focus on cyber law, artificial intelligence regulation, and the law of evidence — areas that reflect both my curiosity about how technology reshapes society and my commitment to ensuring that law evolves to meet those challenges. I am particularly interested in how emerging technologies disrupt traditional legal frameworks and raise new questions about fairness, accountability, and justice. My long-term vision is to contribute to shaping legal frameworks and policy discourse around AI governance and digital evidence.”
Onthatile Selebano — LLB, BCom in Law, LSSA School of Legal Practice (LEAD)
She has gained practical experience through volunteering at ProBono.Org and the Wits Law Clinic, where she assisted with client screenings, consultations, legal research, and case administration across labour, housing, family, and refugee law matters. “Being part of the ProBono.Org team allows me to work directly with communities at the front lines of access to justice, where legal assistance can have a real and meaningful impact in protecting the rights of those who need it most.”
As we say farewell to our Joburg 2025 interns, we hope that they will have success and fulfilment in their legal careers and will build on the experience they gained at ProBono.Org. We also extend congratulations to outgoing intern Jonathan Malatji, who earned his LLM in Labour Law while doing his internship this year.
Congratulations Corinne!
Corinne Baron, a legal intern at the ProBono.Org Cape Town office, graduated with her LLM (Criminal Justice) degree on 11 December 2025. Corinne completed her Masters degree at her alma mater, the University of the Western Cape. Her thesis explored whether the criminalisation of sex work in South Africa infringes the constitutional rights of black, female sex workers in South Africa. The completion of her LLM was driven by her passion for equality, the advancement of human rights and women’s rights as well as the protection of women of colour in South Africa, may it be their bodies or their dignity.
