Celebrating 40 Years with a Poem

During our celebrations, a poem was read by Noxolo Desire Mahlangu that perfectly encapsulated the heart of our journey and the values we hold dear. It spoke of resilience, unity, and the power of standing together to create a future built on justice and fairness. The words served as a reminder of why we do what we do and how every Member, partner, and employee has played a part in shaping the LegalWise legacy.

The motto is Wise Up!

Wise Up in the courtroom of life

Because to wise up is to know that wisdom is the law

In this law, LegalWise understands the value of a good lawyer’s creed

We see the importance of being the champion of justice in the face of prejudice

To be well versed in the ways that laws may bend and sometimes break

So we constantly sharpen the tools that allow us harness a powerful defense for those we represent

Our creed ensures that the constitution is not just for rule keeping’s sake

That it is a function to foster harmony and fairness amongst the people it serves

Now that’s wising up

All of this began as a simple plea from a humble man

Who had an unwavering faith in the strengths of our founders.

He Wised Up and in wising up, he shone light on the desperate need for legal heroes

He Wised Up and in wising up, he planted the seed that has now grown into a robust baobab tree Whose roots spread across the southern parts of the continent

From Botswana, to Namibia to South Africa

LegalWise is an old promise kept and multiplied

From the humble beginnings of an office in a garage and the first Membership fee of R10

Our Big Brother grew up into someone who honours and protects us in the legal playground

From tenants worried about unfair landlords to employees facing injury at work

Families caught in debt and facing blacklisting

Ke mathata fela

But we trust that our Big Brother will fight tooth and nail

So he can serve us justice on a silver platter

And still tell us: ‘Yey you must Wise Up, okay? Jy moet wakker word!”

Just like a big brother would say after plucking you out of trouble

Four decades into it, maturity has set in

The wisdom has fermented and processed

There has been an abundance of progress in community

A widespread trust in our Big Brother

LegalWise is now a testament to the power of wising up,

Adjusting the sails in the winds of change

Honouring the good lawyer’s creed

So that Members can still confidently say

“Don’t talk to me, talk to my lawyer.”