RW
Ronald W

1 reviews | Active since Jan 2014

17 Nov 2022, 09:53

Legal Aid SA

Is this the type of treatment one can expect as the normal from our "justice system"and legal aid when you as a person who is trying to depend on help to fight a law breaker and you are the one on the losing side. Since 2018 when I first approached Legal Aid Bellville branch I have had at least 5 attorneys with very little feedback, unless like I have done,is too write to the CEO at head to with my complaint. Many a time the only response I would get when I called,from a lady named Amanda, would be that the Sheriff of the court was going to take a letter of demand to the person who caused the accident or the case was going to default or a new Attorney has taken over my case and that he or she would contact you. On January 22,2020 I was informed that a new head of Bellville office,Mr Xaba would contact me. On May 25,2022 Mr Xaba phoned me to arrange a for May 26. On May 26 at 10am Mr Xaba came to my room in an old age home where I can a resident, and we discussed my case and all the problems I was having regarding the case. I informed him at the lack of feedback i was receiving from the attorneys and did not know when to do. He then apologized and told me that the court had lost the file with the case documents pertaining to the case but his office still had copies of the case. Why was I not informed whenever I phoned the office that this had happened. We then had to get a new quote for the panel beaters. They emailed this quote to Mr Xaba. Then my problems started once again that the panel beaters were to get an affidavit from Mr Xaba to prove that they we're qualified to give an estimate of the damages and do the repairs. On September 22,2022 when I contacted Mr Xaba via email he informed me that he was no more at the Bellville office and my new Attorney was Mr F.van As an attorney who I had contact with for a very short time till he too had left. Mr Xaba left Bellville on September 23,2022. On October 19 Mr van As contacted me to inform you me that the case will be settled on November 8,2022. On November 9I emailed Mr van As but he mailed me back to tell me he was no longer at Bellville and my new attached was a MS Burricks. Mr van As had left Bellville on October 31,2022 On November 9 I emailed Ms Burricks but was informed that she is not an attorney but my new Attorney was a Ms Fillis. On November 10 Ms Fillis phone me at 11:14 and we spoke for a while about the case. She said that she would come out to the old age home and took down the address. She would come to see me either on Saturday 12 or Sunday 13 to fetch certain papers,which they are supposed to have on file. She did not come out on those days or contact me. On November 14 I emailed her and her response,in an email was,to quote:"My apologies, something did come up but I can pick up the documents after work in the week"Again my apologies. As I write this I have still not heard anything from the attorney. Would I with all yhe problems be able to approach Du Toits and Meditators or Ethical Justice for the People or, although my case is with legal aid, approach Legal Practice Council and seek Pro Bono assistance? The legal aid office in Bellville closes over December and opened January and the what lies shead for me snd to have my vehicle in.

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Replies (1)
Legal Aid South Africa
Legal Aid South Africa's reply06 Dec 2022, 19:04
Official
Hello Ronald - thank you for contacting us. You can report this complaint to ***- we will investigate and get back to you. You can also lodge a complaint on our website: https://legal-aid.co.za/compliments-or-complaints/