In addition to each of our lawyers rendering at least 40 hours of free legal work a year to the individuals and organisations who need it most, we have a dedicated Social Impact team which renders pro bono services on a full-time basis, with a strategic focus on public impact litigation.

The team aims to use their specialist skills to promote the fair and just operation of laws, policies and practices for all to protect basic human rights; for constitutional law reform; for strategic use of the law to effect social change and to provide advocacy for the most vulnerable and marginalised social groups.

Examples of our work and its impact

Usindiso Building Fire

On 1 September 2023, a fire broke out in the Usindiso Building, in Marshalltown, Johannesburg. More than 70 lives were lost, and more than 500 homeless residents were relocated to various hospitals and temporary emergency shelters around Johannesburg. The Social Impact Team at Norton Rose Fulbright was instructed to represent the residents of the Usindiso Building Fire at the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry. The team consulted with 340 of the approximately 500 fire victims.

The Khampepe Commission commenced on 26 October 2023 and ended on 31 March 2024. Our Social Impact team led the oral evidence of 26 South Africans and two foreign nationals detained at Lindela (Malawian and Tanzanian). The Final Report was issued on 05 May 2024 and found that the City of Johannesburg (COJ) and the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) had abandoned the Usindiso Building since 2019; that the COJ failed to attend to repairs and maintenance of the building and disregarded a number of laws and by-laws governing health and safety, emergency services, building standards and others. The report found that “the consequences of the fire would have been mitigated had the COJ complied with its legal obligations as owner and municipality”.

The Wills Project

Norton Rose Fulbright’s Wills Project is dedicated to providing free wills, as well as education and awareness on the administration of estates, to communities in need. This project stands as a beacon of social justice, showcasing the transformative power of legal advocacy in promoting equity and ensuring the protection of individuals' rights and legacies within South African communities.

Our efforts extend across three provinces. By traveling extensively to underserved communities, our team ensures that these vital services are accessible to those who need them most. Recognising the lack of legal knowledge in these areas, we conduct legal workshops on the administration of wills and estates, followed by the drafting of wills for the participants.

Our commitment to efficiency and accessibility means that clients receive their completed wills on the same day, providing immediate peace of mind and security for their families. This hands-on approach not only empowers individuals with crucial legal knowledge, but also fosters trust and engagement within the communities we serve.

Since its inception in 2022, our Wills Project has reached over 40 communities, demonstrating our firm's exceptional commitment to pro bono service. The project has completed a remarkable total of 737.41 pro bono hours, valued at ZAR1,955,757.00, significantly contributing to the National Wills Project.

Governance Training

We recognize the necessity of collaborating with clients and organisations to help them fulfil their objectives, whether these align with global sustainability goals or are specific to their individual missions. A cornerstone of our collaborative efforts is providing comprehensive training to ensure these entities establish robust governance foundations. Our diverse portfolio includes engagements with for-profit and non-profit entities, community-based organisations, community trusts and social enterprises.

In line with our commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, our current project focuses on offering pro bono governance and legal compliance training to a wide array of organisations and sectors. Through this initiative, we aim to support sustainable development, enhance social impact, and promote ethical governance practices.

Restitution of land: District Six Working Committee v Minister of Rural Development

District Six – where more than 60,000 people had their homes destroyed – is emblematic of the apartheid government’s programme of forced removals and racial discrimination. It is symbolic of the democratic government’s failure to implement the Restitution of Land Rights Act, enacted to remedy those forced removals. The forced removal has had severe long-standing repercussions, driving many people into poverty and desperation.

Our client is the District Six Working Committee, which represents approximately 2,400 families who had their homes bulldozed in the 1960s. The state has taken more than two decades to provide adequate restitution to the victims. Many of the claimants are elderly and are unlikely to see restitution within their lifetimes without action against the State.

A successful application was launched against various State parties, seeking a declaratory order that the government was in breach of its constitutional duties towards the District Six claimants. The State has been directed by the court to formulate – and adhere to – a reasonable plan and programme to provide timeous relief for victims. It is under an obligation to report to the court on its progress on finalising restitution every three months until the process is completed.

Access to water

Approximately 3,500 of the poorest, most vulnerable women, children and child-headed households in South Africa survived for years without access to water. By law, the basic minimum the State is required to deliver is 25 litres of potable water per person, per day. Some families – even those of up to nine people – received just nine litres of water per week.

This is insufficient for drinking, let alone survival, particularly because the water that was delivered was contaminated with Cholera and E coli, and caused illness. The safety, health, ability to work and to be educated of the people was affected. The people had to walk for kilometres on end to access alternative water sources.

On behalf of the residents and the South African Human Rights Commission, we challenged the government on the right to access sufficient water. With the success of the first court order, 3,500 households obtained a sufficient but temporary supply of water. The second round of litigation currently being pursued seeks a permanent solution in the form of water supply infrastructure.

Phindiswa Nkatshu

An elderly shack dweller had utilised her life savings to purchase a piece of land to build a permanent home. She discovered that the piece of land was occupied by unlawful occupiers and could therefore not build her home on it or take occupation of it. We launched eviction proceedings to have the unlawful occupiers evicted. The elderly lady received her property back and has built a house on it.

Su-Da Lamue/Minister of Home Affairs

We intervened in an urgent application at the request of the High Court as amicus curiae on behalf of the Commission for Gender Equality, following the detention of a large group of Thai women at a detention centre. The Department of Home Affairs suspected that the women were victims of human trafficking. The court requested an investigation into the allegation, as well as recommendations. The Court agreed with the findings and then relied on the Commission’s report in setting out the procedure that must be followed for suspected victims of trafficking. This case contributed to the development of the law in the absence of more detailed regulations.

Charities and initiatives we regularly support

Langa Clinic
We work in collaboration with ProBono.Org on a pilot legal clinic for the indigent community of Langa. Our lawyers serve at the clinic monthly and provide legal assistance to hundreds of people on matters including domestic violence, property transfers, wills and contractual issues.

Community workshops
We work in collaboration with ProBono.Org on adult community education workshops across various indigent communities on the Western Cape. The topics include the law of succession and the basics of property law (for example, the importance of registering the sale of a property). Workshops take place in Dunoon, Gugulethu, Langa, Elsies River and Kuils River.

Kids Haven
This organisation helps protect homeless children and children in crisis in Ekurhuleni, in Eastern Johannesburg, and aims to give them a brighter future. It operates a children’s home and works extensively in the community through early childhood development centres and interfacing with families. We provide legal counsel, draft agreements, amend founding documents and provide governance and other advice.

The Thoughtful Path Charity
Thoughtful Path Charity, developed by Project Hope UK, is changing lives in Munsieville (western Johannesburg), the township where Desmond Tutu lived as a child. The charity helps communities improve health in children, tackle poverty and address poor education and serious child abuse. We covered the legal aspects of helping the charity become operationally independent of Project Hope UK.

Black Umbrellas
The brainchild of President Cyril Ramaphosa, Black Umbrellas develops 100 per cent black-owned businesses through their incubation centres. They have incubated hundreds of black-owned businesses and created thousands of jobs. We run a legal education programme and give talks on legal topics relevant to start-up enterprises and young SMEs. In addition, we are able to provide certain of the SMEs contractual support on a pro bono basis.

The Domestic Violence Helpdesk Project
This organization addresses the dire need of poorer people to secure the protection offered by the Domestic Violence Act. We run a helpdesk at the Randburg Magistrate’s court every Friday morning where we assist members of the public in applying for domestic violence protection orders. Our involvement significantly increases the court’s ability to assist unrepresented people. 

Practitioner’s Guide to Refugee Law
In 2017, Norton Rose Fulbright, in collaboration with ProBono.Org, launched a guide which equips lawyers to offer their services to refugees free of charge. The guide is a summary of refugee law and sets out practical steps for lawyers to take on refugee-related matters. We regularly offer training on refugee law.