FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT AND LAW (FML)
School of Law
Our law alumni have dominated every facet of the South African legal profession and judiciary
WHY CHOOSE SCHOOL OF LAW
The School of Law congratulates all of you on your admission into the production chain of more extraordinary legal minds in the country.
Adv. Mashele Rapatsa
Acting Director, School of Law
Your desire to join a crop of creative and excellent legal thinkers and scholars is highly appreciated and noted as an altruistic commitment to fostering the quest for Finding Solutions for Africa. The School of Law shall continue to proffer its students progressive opportunities through excellent teaching and learning, research and community engagement practices.
We are committed to contributing immensely to building our student’s reputable careers in the legal profession. Our commitment derives from the fact that we aim to excel in perfecting the acquisition of applied knowledge and skills that prepare our students for a better future.
The School also offers an opportunity to enrol for a Doctor of Laws degree (LLD), whose admission criteria are determined according to departments’ various specialised law fields. At the undergraduate level, the School offers two LLB Programmes. The programmes are a four-year LLB (Mainstream) programme and a five-year LLB degree (Extended or ECP) programme. These programmes prepare students to become, inter alia, advocates, attorneys, prosecutors, magistrates, judges, legal advisors, consultants, mediators, researchers, legal editors, lecturers or professors of law.
Upon completing a law degree at Turf, your internal and external capabilities would have improved tremendously because of the practical and theoretical experiences we offer across all levels in both ECP and Mainstream programmes.
The School promotes the augmentation of academic activities through discovery, experiential learning and equitable or sustainable social order. The School offers a Master of Laws degree at the postgraduate level (Coursework, Mini-Dissertation, and Full Research). The Coursework and Mini-Dissertation programmes are in specialised areas of Development and Management Law and Labour Law, whereas the Full-Research programme is done per department.
The School also strives to be a leading conveyer of high quality teaching and learning, research and legal-intellectual development, while committed to reinforcing a culture of teaching, learning and research that instils values that encourage heightened community-based social responsibility and community engagement.
Teaching and Learning Philosophy
The University of Limpopo (UL) places great importance on its Teaching and Learning Policy, which emphasises the dedication to teaching and learning as outlined in its vision, mission, and values statement. In pursuit of this objective, UL endeavours to provide guidance and assistance to students in the acquisition of:
- sound knowledge base in the field of study concerned;
- scholarly and/or professional dispositions, attributes and competencies appropriate to the field of study and/or future careers;
- academic, professional and employability knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will enable participation in society as high-level human resources with a view of promoting growth and prosperity; and
- competencies and attitudes necessary for lifelong learning.
Therefore, the SoL Teaching and Learning Philosophy is informed by and aligned to the UL Teaching and Learning Policy, and other relevant policies, plans, procedures, and standards (such as the National LLB Qualifications Standards).
The School intends to transition from the above-described traditional approaches in favour of transformative legal education. Consequently, the teaching of law in the School shall be based on the following broad aspects of transformative legal education.
Mainstreaming transformative constitutionalism and decolonisation
integrate the goals oflegal transformation in the content and methodsof legal education. This shall involve consciousness about theneed to change the content of the rules and decolonization of law.
Adopting constructivist approaches to teaching and learning
Constructivist approaches help lecturers and students understand that knowledge is not a set of fixed and immutable truths to be discovered but a socio-politically constructed phenomenon. If such understanding is created, both the lecturer and the student to be critical of the current state of the law and how it can be changed in keeping with the ideals of social transformation.
Consciousness about the digital revolution: Digital revolution has brought profound changes to the paradigm of knowledge; legal education is no exception. The teaching of law in the School shall be conscious of this pervasive revolution. Practically it means integrating technology in the teaching of law and being aware of the implications of the digital revolution on the ideals of transformation in SouthAfrica and decolonisation.
Student-centredness
This involves recognising that students will be active participants in the transformation of legal education if teaching and learning are not linear – when it does not regard the lecturer as the oasis of knowledge. When legal education is centred on students, it empowers them to be critical of the status quo and active participants in constructing new knowledge.
Experiential learning and clinical legal education
This approach involves the constant combination of academic enquiry with real-world experience in all the modules, not only the so-called practical modules. The teaching, learning and assessment shall demonstrate the symbiotic relationship between the academe and the real world.
While the general intent is to move away from the precepts of traditional legal education to transformative legal education, the School is mindful of the need for incrementalism in this transition and the need for sensitivity to differences in modules and their instruction.
GENERAL ACADEMIC RULES
The Rules contained in this section are the General Academic Rules of the University and apply to all registered students.
On registering at this University the student bears the responsibility of ensuring that he/she is familiar with the rules applicable to his/her registration. Ignorance of these rules will not be accepted as an excuse.
ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
Turf Law Conference
CONCEPT NOTE
Preamble
WHEREAS the need to enhance academic activism in furtherance of the University of Limpopo Strategic Goals regarding research; Whereas the need to create a platform for rigorous academic engagements; Whereas the need to nurture emerging researchers and academics; And whereas the need to improve and sustain a reputable research standing of the School of Law and University at large, it is hereby stressed that Turf Law Conference shall serve a fundamental purpose of inculcating perspectives that advances the quest of Finding Solutions for Africa through research. Further, it is centred on enhancing prospects of fostering establishment of strategic collaborations with internal and external stakeholders, national, regional and international, that enriches law conferences. The conference shall enable participation of the turfloop community in the local and global socio-legal developments.
Background and description
Africa is a continent filled with immense wealth, opportunities, resources, challenges, diverse cultures and fascinating experiences. It is for this reason that law is constantly indicted to play the role of giving shape pertaining to how business is conducted, how citizens relate, how society functions, how governments and states operate, how politics unfolds, and how economies service people. Against this backdrop, the School of Law shall reposition itself as a pivotal role player amongst the national and inter-governmental stakeholders that have devoted exclusive efforts towards advancing the rule of law, democratisation and people centred democratic administrations. Law is required to enable academics to bridge across disciplines in an effort to advance
global priorities of realising social justice, the rule of law, elimination of poverty, and social transformation.
THUS, notice is hereby served, that there shall be an Annual/Biennial Turf Law Conference, effective from 2019 academic year. The Turf Law Conference shall replace what was formerly known as the ‘Annual Law Week’.
Whither the School of Law in Finding Solutions for Africa
The University of Limpopo prides itself as a notable institution that has taken a firm stance towards advancing the quest of Finding Solutions for Africa. This entails an unquestionable appreciation that Africa as a continent is still besieged with multiplicity of challenges that require, not only strategic thinking, but that practical action is required in order to creatively innovate workable solutions that are locally designed. Although an interdisciplinary approach to resolving problems is encouraged, it is asserted that law occupies a fundamental position in guiding every mechanism and effort of resolving Africa’s challenges. Thus, it is crucial to locate the role of the School of Law in that regard. That is, it is important for law academics to participate in meaningful engagements that assist society and governments when it comes to formulation of policy and legislative tools that augment efforts of resolving Africa’s challenges. The School of Law academics must actively be involved in the process of innovating responses that provides to local solutions without having to borrow and bend externally manufactured contrivances.
Such challenges besieging the continent includes, amongst others, lack of or sluggish social transformation, lack of transformative statutory and institutional frameworks, poor governance, mismanagement, maladministration, political instabilities, lack of leadership, lack of ideological strategy, diseases, high levels of crime including fraud and corruption, inequalities, economic instabilities, imperial heritage and colonialism, underdevelopment, poverty, illiteracy, women and children abuse, racial and tribal conflicts, labour exploitation and unrest, child labour, human trafficking, and terrorism.
The School of Law appreciates that the pervasive prevalence of these challenges fundamentally inhibits the prospects of achieving societal stability. This is necessarily because they all adversely affect human wellbeing, social peace, social justice and realisation of human rights and freedoms. Subsequently, the challenges diminish the possibility of citizens achieving human capabilities. It is for this reason that the School of Law academics shall endeavour to collaborate with both internal and external scholars, drawn from diverse fields, to develop sustainable solutions. The conference of this nature shall mark an important milestone in the roadmap towards engaging communities and making them feel part of those that devise solutions in their local setting. The conference shall also inculcate the thought of participating in strategic community engagement activities that bolsters efforts of resolving the aforesaid challenges.
Participants
The conference shall embrace both the interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity approaches. That is, a variety of audience and participants will be targeted. This shall include law academics, legal practitioners, policy makers and or legislators, government representatives, parliamentarians, scholars across the humanities world, social sciences discipline, development and management, political science, and sciences and agriculture. The conference shall ensure ease of participation by youth and elderly citizenry. It is intended that participants shall be attracted from all South Africa’s institutions of higher learning, from across the SADC region, the continent at large and the world.
Objectives
The conference shall offer an invaluable opportunity for law academics to interact with the outside world, exchange knowledge, while building on foundations that establishes strategic partnerships and collaborations needed to locate mechanisms of resolving Africa’s challenges;
a) To ensure that we achieve a culture of excellence in research scholarship.
b) To achieve an improved research standing and research output.
c) To promote and sustain networking and partnerships that strengthens academic activism.
d) To encourage and realize youthful participation in academic activities.
e) In the main, harness generation, distribution and ownership of knowledge.
f) To strengthen the competitiveness of the School of Law.
Thematic ideals
The conference shall run on a thematic basis. It shall be guided through contemporary Themes and or Sub-themes. The organising committee shall be responsible for determining such themes and sub-themes on an annual or biennial basis.
ANNUAL TURF LAW LECTURES
TURF LAW LECTURES
Preamble
WHEREAS the quest of retaining the School of Law of the University of Limpopo as a competitive contributor through legal education, research and community engagement; Whereas the need to enhance academic activism in furtherance of the University of Limpopo’s Strategic Plan and Strategic Goals regarding research; Whereas the need to keep contact with the important School of Law stakeholders such as its alumni; Whereas the need to nurture emerging academics; And whereas the need to improve and sustain a reputable research standing of the Faculty and the University at large, it is hereby stressed that Annual Turf Law Lecture shall serve a fundamental purpose of inculcating perspectives that advances the quest of Finding Solutions for Africa through research. Thus, a platform is hereby created to enable rigorous academic and professional engagements.
Background and description
The University of Limpopo prides itself as an Institution of Higher Learning whose primary focus is, amongst others, to take care of the developmental needs of rural communities, and in a manner that epitomises excellence. Premised on the quest of Finding Solutions for Africa, it is appreciated that Africa is a continent filled with immense wealth, opportunities, resources, challenges, diverse cultures and fascinating experiences. It is for this reason that law is constantly indicted to play its role of giving shape on how business is conducted, how citizens relate, how society functions, how governments and states operate, how politics unfolds, and how economies service people.
Against this backdrop, the School of Law shall reposition itself as a pivotal role player amongst the national and inter-governmental stakeholders that have devoted exclusive efforts towards advancing the rule of law, democratisation and people centred democratic administrations. Law is required to enable academics to bridge across disciplines in an effort to advance the priorities of realising social justice, the rule of law and social transformation.
THUS, notice is hereby served, that the inaugural Annual Turf Law Lecture be implemented on an annual basis, effective 2022 academic year.
Whither the School of Law in Finding Solutions for Africa
It is worth emphasising that the University of Limpopo’s specific focus of advancing the quest of Finding Solutions for Africa necessitates this concept, It is appreciated that Africa as a continent is still besieged with multiplicity of challenges that require not only strategic thinking, but that practical action is required in order to creatively innovate workable solutions that are locally designed. Although an interdisciplinary approach to resolving problems is encouraged, it is asserted that law occupies a fundamental position in guiding every mechanism and effort of resolving Africa’s challenges. Thus, it is crucial to locate the role of the School of Law in that regard. That is, it is important for law academics to participate in meaningful engagements that assist society and governments when it comes to formulation of policy and legislative tools that augments efforts of resolving Africa’s challenges. The School of Law academics must actively be involved in the process of innovating responses that provides to local solutions without having to borrow and bend externally manufactured contrivances.
Such challenges besieging the continent includes, amongst others, lack of or sluggish social transformation, lack of transformative statutory and institutional frameworks, poor governance, mismanagement, maladministration, political instabilities, lack of leadership, lack of ideological strategy, diseases, high levels of crime including fraud and corruption, inequalities, economic instabilities, imperial heritage and colonialism, underdevelopment, poverty, illiteracy, women and children abuse, racial and tribal conflicts, labour exploitation and unrest, child labour, human trafficking, and terrorism.
The School of Law appreciates that the pervasive prevalence of these challenges fundamentally inhibits the prospects of achieving societal stability. This is necessarily because they all adversely affect human wellbeing, social peace, social justice and realisation of human rights and freedoms. Subsequently, the challenges diminish the possibility of citizens achieving human capabilities. It is for this reason that the School of Law academics shall endeavour to collaborate with both internal and external scholars, drawn from diverse fields, to develop sustainable solutions. The conference of this nature shall mark an important milestone in the roadmap towards engaging communities and making them feel part of those that devise solutions in their local setting. The conference shall also inculcate the thought of participating in strategic community engagement activities that bolsters efforts of resolving the aforesaid challenges.
Participants
The Annual Turf Law Lectures shall adopt interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches. That is, a variety of audience and participants will be targeted. This shall include law academics, legal practitioners, policy makers and or legislators, government representatives, parliamentarians, scholars across the humanities world, social sciences discipline, development and management, political science, and sciences and agriculture. The conference shall ensure ease of participation by youth and elderly citizenry. It is intended that participants shall be attracted from all South Africa’s institutions of higher learning, from across the SADC region, the continent at large and the world.
Aim and Objectives
The Annual Turf Law Lecture is aimed at enhancing prospects of fostering establishment of strategic collaborations with internal and external stakeholders, national, regional and international, that enriches contemporary legal education. These lectures shall enable participation of the turfloop community in the local and global socio-legal developments.
The lectures shall offer an invaluable opportunity for law academics and professionals, especially the notable alumni, to interact with the outside world, exchange knowledge, while building on foundations that establishes strategic partnerships and collaborations needed to locate mechanisms of resolving Africa’s challenges.
a) To ensure that we achieve a culture of excellence in research scholarship.
b) To achieve an incessantly increased research output.
c) To promote and sustain networking and partnerships that strengthens academic activism.
d) To encourage and realize youthful participation in academic activities.
e) In the main, harness generation, distribution and ownership of knowledge.
f) To strengthen the competitiveness of the School of Law.
Thematic ideals
The Annual Turf Law Lectures shall be organised on an annual basis, and will be based on contemporary Themes and Sub-themes. While there shall be at least one annual lecture, the organising committee shall on a continuous basis decide on the possibility of conducting such quarter-based or semester based lectures, on such topical issues as and when deemed necessary.
EXCELLENCE AWARDS
JUSTICE DIKGANG MOSENEKE EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Preamble
WHEREAS the need to give effect to the Memorandum of Understanding between Justice Dikgang Moseneke and the University of Limpopo; Whereas the need to recognise and reward excellence amongst law students registered in the School of Law; Whereas the desire to foster the advancement of the University of Limpopo’s three core functions, to wit; teaching and learning, research and community engagement; and whereas the need to retain the School of Law as an epitome of excellence, and the frontrunner in the quest towards Finding Solutions for Africa, thus, this text shall serve as a guiding conceptual framework in terms of which Justice Dikgang Moseneke Excellence Awards shall be premised.
Table of Key Definitions
1. Excellence or Excellent performance
– Shall refer to student’s overall achievements per full level registration, and shall exclude any student registered for more than one level in one academic year under consideration.
– Excellent performance shall also mean performing beyond expected minimum threshold.
2. Excellence Awards – Shall refer to an award given to a student(s) in recognition of excellent performance in their LLB studies.
3. FML – Faculty of Management and Law
4. Level of Registration – Shall refer to a level at which the student is fully registered.
5. LLB – Shall mean Bachelor of Laws, as widely known.
6. LLB Mainstream – Shall refer to a regular 4-year LLB programme.
7. LLB ECP – Shall refer to an extended law curriculum programme prescribed for a minimum period of 5 years.
8. MoU – Shall refer to the Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Limpopo and Justice Dikgang Moseneke, applicable hereto.
9. SoL – Shall mean School of Law
Article 1: Aim
1.1 To encourage excellent academic performance amongst all law students registered for LLB studies in the School of Law.
1.2 Towards proliferating the standing of the School of Law as a School of Choice when it comes to law tutelage.
1.3 To effectively inculcate a productive competitive culture amongst law students across all levels.
1.4 To ensure that the LLB students of the University of Limpopo achieve the intended learning outcomes that resonate with the National LLB standards and attributes of a law graduate in a transformative constitutional setting
1.5 To encourage student-centred teaching and learning, and development of critical thinking skills.
Article 2: Objectives
2.1 To achieve high performance and progression amongst all law students across all levels.
2.2 To foster high throughput rate of all rounded law graduates.
2.3 To sustain collaborations that recognise and reward excellence of all law students.
2.4 To realise a departure from legal formalism to substantive reasoning.
Article 3: Guiding Principles
3.1 This conceptual framework is premised on the University of Limpopo’s national, regional and institutional contexts, all of which define our existential priorities as read against the living challenges and opportunities at our disposal.
3.2 While the MoU shall remain the utmost normative instrument guiding the intended recognition and rewarding of excellence, regard is at all times to be had on the University of Limpopo’s vision, mission and motto of Finding Solutions for Africa. It is thus envisioned that these awards that fosters academic excellence are an invaluable contributor in retaining the University of Limpopo as an epitomy of academic excellence, an institution that produces high performers destined to take care of the developmental needs of the surrounding communities and South Africa’s society at large.
3.3 It is also appreciated that in order for law students to excel and become competitive, they ought to be supported in all areas impacting on their learning. Therefore, this framework is fundamentally aligned with the University of Limpopo’s Strategic Goals No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4, in which the School of Law commits to producing socially and economically relevant and responsive graduates, from an environment that empowers our students to reach their full potential, so that they are enabled to exit the University as well-rounded graduates.
3.4 The Dikgang Moseneke Excellence Awards shall be subject to the transformative laws of the Republic of South Africa. Hence, there shall be no discrimination when considering excellent performance amongst all law students. The awards shall be awarded in a manner that is conscious of the prohibitions enshrined in section 9(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.
3.5 There shall be transparency and accountability on all processes and allocations of funds for awards purposes.
Article 4: Scope and Determining Eligibility
4.1 The Justice Dikgang Moseneke Excellence Awards shall be applicable to all students registered for law studies in the School of Law at the University of Limpopo.
4.2 To be considered for any award in accordance with the stated objectives of the MoU, a candidate must be a full-time registered student during the year of evaluation and under consideration. Thus, a student who interrupts studies in the course of the year shall be ineligible for consideration.
4.3 The Justice Dikgang Moseneke Excellence Awards shall take effect upon implementation, and shall not be awarded retrospective nor protective basis.
Article 5: Categories and Criteria
5.1 The Justice Dikgang Moseneke Excellence Awards shall be intended for contest by all law students registered in both LLB Mainstream and LLB ECP.
5.2 To fairly and justly cater for both LLB programmes, two streams of recognising and rewarding excellence shall be applied, to wit;
• Excellence Awards for students in LLB Mainstream, from First Level to Fourth Level.
• Excellence Awards for students in LB ECP, from First Level to Fifth Level.
5.3 Best Student per Level
a) Shall be awarded to a student who achieves high and excellent performance above all his/her classmates.
b) To be considered for an award, the candidate must have achieved an average/aggregate of at least the minimum of 75% per level performance.
c) There shall be the ‘Best Student per Level’ in both LLB Mainstream and LLB ECP.
d) A winning candidate shall be eligible to receive a certificate of recognition and excellence award, and an amount of R5000 00.
5.4 Overall Best Student per Programme
a) Shall be awarded to a student who achieves high excellent performance in the entire programme when compared to peers.
b) To be considered for an award, the candidate must have achieved an aggregate of at least the minimum of 75% per programme.
c) This award shall become due to a student upon completion and graduation, and with a cohort.
d) A winning candidate shall be eligible to receive a certificate of recognition and excellence award, and an amount of R5000 00.
Article 6: Student Support and Development
6.1 A variety of experiential learning activities such as Mock Trials, Moot Courts and Law Students’ Public Debate shall be organised.
6.2 Students who participates in law related experiential learning activities shall be recognised and rewarded with certificate of excellence.
Article 7: General
7.1 The School of Law shall ensure that the Justice Dikgang Moseneke Excellence Awards are only bestowed unto notable cases of academic performance, indeed epitomising academic excellence in true sense.
7.2 The Justice Dikgang Moseneke Excellence Awards shall be enforced in consideration of the University’s applicable policies, on teaching and learning, research and community engagement, and the University Strategic Goals in general.
7.3 The School ExCo shall present such awards to the School Board, and in adherence to the University established practices and processes. To achieve transparency and accountability, the evaluation report shall be distributed as public, but privileged file amongst the School of Law community.
Notable Alumni
- Judge MN Mhlantla (Constitutional Court)
- Judge M Mathopo ((Constitutional Court)
- Judge M Kgoele (Supreme Court of Appeal)
- Judge T Makgoka (Supreme Court of Appeal)
- Judge DS Molefe (Supreme Court of Appeal)
- Judge FE Mokgohloa (Supreme Court of Appeal)
- Judge President MG Phatudi (Limpopo)
- Judge President D Mlambo (Gauteng)
- Judge President M Leeuw (North-West)
- Judge President E Makgoba (Limpopo, retired)
- Judge President F Legodi (Mpumalanga, retired)
- Deputy Judge President A Ledwaba (Gauteng)
- Deputy Judge President M Semenya (Limpopo)
- Judge P Mojapelo (Gauteng, retired)
- Judge ML Mailula
- Judge B Ngoepe (Gauteng, retired)
- Judge ML Senyatsi (Gauteng)
- Judge JE Dlamini (Gauteng)
- R Nthambeleni, SC
- M Mphela (Attorney)
- P Dlamini
Administrative Staff
Adv. Mashele Tlou RAPATSA
Qualifications
- LLB (UL) LLM (UCT)
Contacts
- Â Tel: 015 268 2670/2686
- Email: mashele.rapatsa@ul.ac.za
Areas of interest
- Human rights,
- constitutional law,
- humanitarian law,
- workplace law
Recent publications
- Tshoose, CI & Rapatsa, M (2022). Who Will Watch the Watchers? A Critical Perspective on Police Brutality in Post-Apartheid South Africa. International Human Rights Law Review, 11(2), pp.1-24.
- Rapatsa, M (2022. A Constitutional Disposition of Cultural Male Circumcision as a Heritage Right. LAW – Theory and Practice journal, 39(3), pp.113-124.
- Rapatsa, M (2022). Social Identity and Social Exclusivity: South Africa’s Middle-Class Strata in a Perpetual Struggle for Integration. Social Sciences and Education Research Review, 9(2), pp.133-139.
Ms. Raisibe MOKOALA
Ms. Raisibe MOKOALA
Qualifications
- BTech (DUT) Dipl. Man. Assistance (Pietersburg College) Dipl. Bookkeeping (Damelin)
Contacts
- Tel: 015 268 2686
- Email: raisibe.mokoala@ul.ac.za
Mr. Fejisani NKUNA
Ms. Matshie MPHEKGOANA
School of Law Contacts
​Ms Raisibe Mokoala
Senior Secretary: Office of the Director
Telephone +27 (0)15 268 2686
raisibe.mokoala@ul.ac.za
Mr Fejisani Nkuna
Acting Principal Administrative Officer
Telephone +27 (0)15 268 4626
pacific.nkuna@ul.ac.za
Ms Matshie Mphekgoana
Postgraduate Administrative Officer
Telephone +27 (0)15 268 3148
matshie.mphekgoana@ul.ac.za