NEWSLETTER NO 01/2020
NEWSLETTER NO 01/2020
EPISODE 1
Greetings of the New Season
It is hard to believe that 2019 has come and gone, last year this time we were looking forward to the last year of the decade, now we are looking forward to the new year or the first year of the new decade!
We at P.C. Mogale and Co.Inc. celebrated 20years of our existence during 2019, it was such an emotional exercise for me in particular when I looked back as far as 1999 when the firm was established . . . . I will like to share the story of the journey of this firm since inception in celebrating the 20yrs milestone:
IN THE BEGINNING 1999
After having been admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa on the 11 June 1998 at the High Court of South Africa, Transvaal Provincial Division(TPD) as it was then called (Pretoria) I proceeded to serve as a Professional Assist with TP Moloto & Co.Inc in Lebowakgomo with my then principal, the late Jeffrey Mathabatha(may his soul rest in peace) fast forward in January 1999, I joind a law firm in Groblersdal called Mkhwanazi Tsheoga and Partners who were keen to open a branch in Lebowakgomo, it was after six months that myself and another clolleague that we were working as Professional Assistants for the firm realized that we were not doing justice to ourselves as we had very limited authority in the running of the branch office, which was opened in Zone A, Lebowakgomo Shopping Complex, for a number of reasons, in June 1999, notice was given to Mkhwanazi Tsheoga and Partners that we will be practicing as P.C. Mogale Attorneys, I was with my colleague, one Mr Mashola.
That was the birth of P.C. Mogale Attorneys practicing at the same premises that our previous employers were practicing, as they had no intention to proceed with the branch office, and it was literally established by our funds, they then left as they were.
CHALLENGES
Like any other new business, the firm went through teething problems, struggling with operating capital, office space, furniture. . . I still remember that we started in a sixty five square meter space with reception and two offices. we used second hand furniture, of which some of the desks are still there even today, that’s the quality of products back then, as for the typing, we were using an electronic type writer which was quite intriguing to use. We only had our first computer in 2001/2002.
It was a firm with three staff members, two of us as professionals and the secretary who was also a messenger.
It was not strange to go for several months without a proper salary as the little you make in the month will first cover the overheads then your drawings as partners.
The most challenging aspect in the staff establishment was training, our secretary had no experience at all and had never seen an electronic type writer, we had to train her how to use it, then after several months she would abscond and eventually we had to find another one still had to train her again from the scratch.
The problem that is still persistent with small firms is staff retention. We invest in our staff by training them and empowering them, several years down the line they are experienced and they are poached by other bigger companies because we cannot offer competitive salaries. It went like that until today. You are very grateful when you have a support staff member who can be with the company for five years.
We however persevered and managed to build a good reputation for our firm so it becomes a house hold name.
At the time when we started there were only two firms in Lebowakgomo, before the end of the third year there was a total of about six firms in such a small jurisdiction which did not even have a Regional Court at that time. It was then the survival of the fittest, I couldn’t really understand as to what was so attractive about Lebowakgomo since that it could have such a huge influx of attorneys opening offices there. Today there is a total of eight Law firms in Lebowakgomo . . . since the first firm opened its doors in 1989, thirty years ago!!
P.C. Mogale & Co.Inc. remains one of the flagship law firms in Lebowakgomo now with a branch office in Polokwane and employing no fewer than four admitted attorneys, a candidate attorney and six support staff members.
We will continue with second instalment of the journey in our next Newsletter which should be out in February.
We also wish to take this opportunity to announce the following:-
1. Ms Rosemind Molebale has since left our company to pursue other career options. She was with the firm since 2017 September, we thanked her for the contributions she made to the growth of the firm.
2. Mr Collins Makwala who has been a candidate legal practitioner with the firm since November 2018, has since been admitted as a full fledged legal practitioner with effect from December 2019.
Mr Makwala remains a member of our team as a Professional Assistant, now based in our Polokwane office. We hope that he will continue to be a versatile member of the team.
3. Mr Seapela has since moved to our Lebowakgomo office after the departure of Ms Molebale with effect from 13/01/2020.
4. Ms Nhlanhla Joy Ndhlovu also joined our team in November 2019 as a Professional Assistant after serving her articles somewhere else. Ms Ndlhovu is based in our Lebowakgomo office. We believe that she will add value to our team.
We remain committed to women and youth empowerment as a law firm.
Have a blessed 2020.
Sincerely
P.C. MOGALE – MD