Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma's application to interdict the release of the Public Protector's report on state capture was heard in the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.
The report, which was drawn up by former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, contains her findings on allegations that the politically-connected Gupta family wielded vast influence over the government.
Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi is part of the Economic Freedom Fighters’ legal team which is arguing for the report to be released.
Ngcukaitobi has impressed social media users who have been following the court proceedings.
How do you ask for a postponement on your own urgent application? -The young, black and skilled Adv Tembeka Ngcukaitobi #StateCaptureReport
— Thanduxolo Mamba™ (@Thanda91) November 1, 2016
This EFF Adv is outstanding...he makes me wish I followed my teacher's dream& studied law...He is very good #Blackexcellence #Ngcukaitobi👌👌
— Thabile Hlela (@pthlela) November 1, 2016
MOJO decided to find out more about the advocate. Here are some interesting things that we have discovered:
Ngcukaitobi wanted to become a lawyer because it was something that his father wanted to do before he died.
”I understood that at the time my father died, he himself had started studying law through UNISA, the University of South Africa, which was the only university at the time that could take black people and in a way, I always aspired to achieve something that he himself couldn't achieve.”
He was the top student in his Matric year, an achievement which afforded him the opportunity to study law.
“I had a choice of either going to the university of Natal or going to the University of Transkei, but I didn't have a bursary to go to University of Natal. I didn't have money so I won a full bursary to go to Transkei, so I enrolled there for my undergraduate LLB studies.”
He then went on to Rhodes University where he did his LLM.
While in Grahamstown Ngcukaitobi was the most junior member of the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) in Grahamstown when the groundbreaking social grants class action suit, Ngxuza v MEC for Welfare, went all the way to the Supreme Court of Appeal, and the LRC won.
In a interview with a magazine earlier this year, he said that was surprised when EFF leader Julius Malema sung his praises when he filed the papers for the EFF in the Constitutional Court, forcing President Jacob Zuma to implement the Public Protector’s recommendation on Nkandla.
“To be honest, I was surprised. I was not expecting Malema to sing my praises. Obviously, I take pride in the Constitutional Court ruling and the role I played as an advocate, but it is not something I want to be known for. I was not alone. There were other people involved who played important roles in this case.”
Many of these things have led Ngcukaitobi to where he is now, and, if the Twitter reactions to his skills in court are anything to go by South Africans are taking note.
You can't help it, you have to listen when #Ngcukaitobi speaks. He is makes sense of this law thing. #StateCaptureReport
— Siphokazi Botya (@Missbotya) November 1, 2016
Advocate #ngcukaitobi!!!! Shine my gentle brother!! #StateCaptureReport
— Sinazo Ngwenya (@I_Am_Snazi) November 1, 2016
#Ngcukaitobi is just serve young brilliant law-minded bombs 👏👏 Age ain't nothing but a number #StateCaptureReport #StateCapture
— 🇳🇰🇴🇵 (@NkopaneSebako) November 1, 2016
His name is Tembeka #Ngcukaitobi An incredible legal mind. He will be a silk 1 of these days very soon. Watch this space. #BlackExcellence✊ pic.twitter.com/QKvoC1LjpT
— Asanda Magaqa (@asandamagaqa) November 1, 2016
IOL Mojo