Legodi’s legacy cast in stone, his bust in bronze
"Forgiveness is everything. Mandela taught us to be kind and humble and to be of service to society."
MBOMBELA – On Friday, the High Court of Mpumalanga witnessed an occasion of deeply profound graciousness, humility, gravitas and good humour.
Hosted by the Pretoria Society of Advocates (PSA), the unveiling of the bronze bust of Judge President MF Legodi was a testament to his 20 years as a judge and reminded South Africa of the profound humility and forgiveness we have attained as a nation.
The afternoon venerated not only a man of impeccable integrity and human rights advancement, but also upheld our constitution as a shining example to the world.
Giving the opening address, the chairperson of the PSA, Adv Marc Leathern SC, said, “I’ve always known Judge President Legodi to be a meticulous man and a meticulous judge. His division runs like clockwork.”
The high court is known to be the best run court in the province.
Leathern spoke fondly of Legodi’s early days as a lawyer in Pretoria before introducing the legendary retired Judge President Bernard Ngoepe, who was instrumental in forming Legodi’s career.
Ngoepe reminisced, “Judge President Legodi came to me and said he wanted to be an attorney, so we took him on as my article clerk. I had no hesitation about employing him and furthering his career. Later, we brought him in as an acting judge to see if he could prove himself. The Judicial Service Commission soon discovered he is a truly competent man.
“Thanks to men like Judge Legodi, we have indeed taken justice to the people. He was always a human rights lawyer. This bust is well earned,” he said.
The sentiment was echoed by the third speaker, former Mpumalanga Premier Dr Mathews Phosa who praised Legodi’s human rights activism.
“Before you became a lawyer, you fought for the rights of people. We were fellow activists and we took up human rights cases that many others would not have touched.”
Always combining good humour and carrying the flag for the law, Phosa spoke of the necessity of protecting our constitution and the three arms of government – the legislature, executive and judiciary.
Then Judge Legodi himself took to the podium and said how he remembers starting out as a simple attorney from Bushbuckridge who never expected to be invited to be an acting judge. He thanked the Pretoria Society of Advocates, saying, “You made my life very easy because of your professionalism.”
Legodi gave special thanks to his family, many of whom were present.
“My wife always took the kids to school and my kids never complained about having an absent father. But next
year, after I retire, I will be devoting my time to my family.
“You are not a person until you can understand and share the feelings of others. This was the lesson Judge Ngoepe taught me. He made the most profound impact on my life as my mentor and confidante.”
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Legodi spoke about the need for humbleness, humility, fairness and discipline before eulogising Nelson Mandela who taught us forgiveness.
“Forgiveness is everything. He taught us to be kind and humble and to be of service to society. As people, we need to practise humility.”
The bust of Legodi sits opposite the huge metal portrait of Mandela on the first floor landing of the stately building.
“It is a blessing my statue will always be facing him,” said Judge Legodi.
After the unveiling, praise poured in for how competently Judge Legodi runs the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court.
Acting Judge Henk Roelofse said this new high court building is the best functioning of all our courts, and it is very much thanks to the dedication of Judge President Legodi.
Legodi will be retiring in April next year after 20 years serving South Africa as one of its most esteemed judges.
The afternoon was indeed a memorable occasion for celebrating the quality of leadership within our halls of justice.
