adminMidlands Bureau Chief
The Law Society of Zimbabwe has de-registered four lawyers and closed three law firms for failing to uphold ethics and operating in premises that are deemed to bring the name of the legal profession into disrepute, among other things.Three of the de-registered lawyers are based in Harare while the fourth was operating in Gokwe and Kwekwe.
Read a statement from the Law Society of Zimbabwe:
“Take notice that in 2013, the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Tribunal ordered the de-registration of the following from the registers of Legal Practitioners, Notaries Public and Conveyancers; Sengweni Tapera, Hangazha Tendai, Mapfunde Taurai and Mahaso Toindepi. The four can no longer hold themselves out as legal practitioners. They cannot take instructions, appear at police stations, prisons, courts or tribunals”.
The statement signed by the Law Society of Zimbabwe Executive Secretary, Edward Mapara also announced the closure until further notice of Gweru law firm, Mahamba Law Chambers as well as JP Oberholzer Legal Practitioners and T Khumalo and Partners both of Bulawayo.
Wilbert Mandinde, the deputy secretary-general of the Law Society, confirmed yesterday the de-registration of the four lawyers and the closure of the law firms.
He said: “The four lawyers were struck from the register for various reasons that include abuse of trust funds and failing to produce annual audits, among other issues. Tapera Sengweni, who used to practise in Gokwe but was based in Kwekwe, was de-registered for abusing trust funds. Sengweni’s law firm, Sengweni and Partners, was duly closed as a result. Tendai Hangazha of Hangazha and Partners in Harare was de-registered for abusing $11,000 entrusted to him by his clients and his law firm has been closed.
Taurai Mapfunde, who was based in Mutare then but was now based in Harare, was convicted in 2000 for stealing trust funds. He noted an appeal but never prosecuted his appeal. Accordingly the Law Society Council ruled that until such a time he prosecuted his appeal, he (Mapfunde) remains convicted.
Online Reporter