Pienaar born lawyer wants justice for all

Rodney Misha Segage, is slowly making his mark in South Africa’s justice system.
At the age of 33, Segage is the chairperson of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers’ (Nadel) Mbombela branch after he was nominated and eventually voted into this position he had been holding since 2018.

“Nadel is an important tool for social justice promotion. This is a human rights organisation which is unapologetically in support of the poor and the vulnerable. We have a litigation desk that helps groups affected by unfair practices and discrimination.

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“We also provide training opportunities for young lawyers and law students. We conduct outreach programmes aimed at mentoring and educating the youth and the previously disadvantaged,” Segage said.
He added that he is motivated by his surroundings to always be on top of his game. “As long as there are people suffering from the unjust system, I make it a point to be there. I want to fight with them and for them.”
He is also the founder and the first chairperson of Mbombela4Autism, a non-profit organisation advocating issues of people living with autism spectrum disorder.
It also helps parents with how to raise and develop their autistic children.
Segage matriculated from Lihawu Secondary School in 2004 and pursued his LLB at the University of Limpopo and graduated in 2009. He said growing up in Pienaar, a place notorious for crime, inspired him to bring the change he always wanted to see.

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He said, “I felt during my earlier days that there were not enough positive role models for young people and that was due to the high crime rate in the area. That propelled me to want to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Ligwalagwala FM’s popular DJ, Madumane Simelane, Africa Sifunda, the late Wiseman Matsebula and Thabo Mlangeni, who took it upon themselves to provide a sense of positivity for young people in Pienaar. I also wanted to prove to myself and my community that we have the potential to do good and that all dreams are possible for those who aspire to dream.”
His breakthrough came in 2010, when he was offered a contract to serve articles of clerkship at Legal Aid South Africa.
“This is where I was given a platform to master my craft. SJ Thobela of Thobela Attorneys remains my life mentor and I’m forever grateful to him,” he said.
Segage added that the greatest challenge in his career includes the lack of transformation of the legal fraternity in the province. He overcame this by joining Nadel.
“Nadel gave me a platform to speak to the issues of non-transformation and to contribute meaningfully and constructively to change the status quo.”
The highlight of his career was in 2014, when he represented people who had been evicted by a municipality in Bethal. “We forced the municipality to provide them with adequate emergency shelter,” he said.
Segage urged the youth to love themselves, work hard to master whatever they do and to never stop dreaming until they achieve their desired goals.
He is also an aspiring pianist and is working towards registering an MBA qualification.