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Rogue lawyer’s luck runs out as SCA halts his illegal practice

Sowetan · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 616 words · By Lindile Sifile
Legal Malpractice Public Protection Judicial Accountability
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What to know about Legal Malpractice

A rogue Bloemfontein lawyer stole from his clients, misled the legal ethics regulator and then repeatedly tried to continue practising despite being struck off.

Claims checked 16
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Right coverage
Left12%
Center88%
Right0%

8 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

A rogue Bloemfontein lawyer stole from his clients, misled the legal ethics regulator and then repeatedly tried to continue practising despite being struck off.

Why it matters

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) this week put an end to attorney Lebohang Michael Sondhlane’s mischievous behaviour of misleading the Legal Practice Council (LPC) and repeated appeals against his suspension from working as a legal practitioner.

Common ground

The court refused to condone his latest appeal.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-05-26-rogue-lawyers-luck-runs-out-as-sca-hal…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 6
check_circle Corroborated 4
info Single Source 4
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule
Claim 1: “Sondhlane first attempted to conceal the R1m deposit by failing to reflect it in liquidation and distribution accounts.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 2: “A second complaint involved widow Mathabo Emily Tau, who accused Sondhlane of irregularly handling her late husband’s estate.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for a complaint by Mathabo Emily Tau.
schedule
Claim 3: “He even accepted instructions in a criminal trial before being stopped by the court and later arrested on charges including fraud, contempt of court and practising without a fidelity fund certificate.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 4: “Lebohang Sondhlane — previously known as Lebohang Michael Mokhele”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources refer to him as both Lebohang Michael Sondhlane and Lebohang Mokhele, confirming the name change/previous name.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Studied Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at University of the Free State. . Went to Motswela Secondary School. Photos. . Photos.
https://www.facebook.com/lebohang.mokhele.3/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Oct 27, 2019 · Has anyone manage to send the form on the given emails cause Kimi it's keep on saying email address is permanently closed on all the emails ...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1024116301000990/posts/24933…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · It is alleged that Sondhlane, a former practicing attorney, was in the Free State Division of the High Court of South Africa in Bloemfontein on ...
https://www.facebook.com/mxolisiqakoshe/posts/this-week-the-…
check_circle
Claim 5: “Sondhlane previously practised under the name LM Mokhele Attorneys Incorporated before being suspended in November 2022.”
CORROBORATED
Confirmed by multiple independent sources, including the Sowetan and a legal case reference (Sondhlane v South African Legal Practice Council), stating he practiced as LM Mokhele Attorneys Incorporated until November 2022.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago ... ... attorney. Sondhlane previously practised under the name LM Mokhele Attorneys Incorporated before being suspended in November 2022. After he ...
https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-05-26-rogue-lawyers-luck…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago ... ... LM Mokhele Attorneys Incorporated until 23 November 2022, when he was suspended from practice. On 7 September 2023, the South African Legal ...
https://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZASCA/2026/78.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago ... ... attorney. Sondhlane previously practised under the name LM Mokhele Attorneys Incorporated before being suspended in November 2022. After he ...
https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/sowetan/20260527/28…
info
Claim 6: “Yawa later discovered that no petition had ever been filed.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim includes a YouTube video and a dictionary definition, neither of which provide information regarding whether a petition was filed for Xolile Yawa.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sondhlane previously practised under the name LM Mokhele Attorneys Incorporated before being suspended in November 2022. After he was struck from the roll in January 2024, he began operating under the…
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-05-26-rog…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — I have no idea why the last car was so expensiveSee how cool the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is for yourself: https://smsng.us/MrBeastZFlip5Check out the Samsung ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrLj6nc516A
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — make it make sense. get a word in edgewise. by the seat of one’s pants. on behalf of.
https://www.theidioms.com/dont-sweat-it/
check_circle
Claim 7: “The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) this week put an end to attorney Lebohang Michael Sondhlane’s mischievous behaviour of misleading the Legal Practice Council (LPC) and repeated appeals against his suspension from working as a legal practitioner.”
CORROBORATED
The claim is explicitly confirmed by multiple independent web search results, including a report from the Sowetan and another news source, stating the SCA put an end to Sondhlane's behavior of misleading the LPC.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hilton College is a South African private boarding school for boys located near the town of Hilton in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. It was founded in 1872 by Gould Arthur Lucas and Reverend William Orde…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Old_Hiltonians
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — João Maria Lobo Alves Palhares Costa Palhinha Gonçalves (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈɐ̃w̃ pɐˈʎiɲɐ]; born 9 July 1995) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/João_Palhinha
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Supreme is an American clothing brand established in Manhattan, New York City, in April 1994. The company focuses on streetwear, skateboarding, and hip-hop fashion trends.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_(brand)
+ 2 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 8: “the high court finding that he wilfully disobeyed court orders”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 9: “more than R1m from a life insurance payout was allegedly transferred out of the estate account without authorisation from the Master of the High Court.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 10: “Investigations by the LPC uncovered that a after Yawa paid the money into Sondhlane’s trust account, R69,500 was transferred into the attorney’s business account.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this specific financial transaction.
info
Claim 11: “the LPC launched proceedings against him following complaints from clients accusing him of mishandling and misappropriating funds.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of generic definitions of 'legal' and 'legal aid' and does not contain specific information regarding the LPC's proceedings against Sondhlane for fund misappropriation.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 15, 2026 · Working Together for Justice BayLegal works to address the causes and consequences of poverty through high quality legal assistance and advocacy. Learn More How We Help Free Legal Assis…
https://baylegal.org/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — LEGAL definition: permitted by law; lawful. See examples of legal used in a sentence.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/legal
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Everyone should have access to an attorney to help them navigate legal issues.The State Bar funds legal aid organizations throughout the state that provide legal services to California residents who h…
https://www.calbar.ca.gov/public/legal-resources/free-legal-…
schedule
Claim 12: “The SCA dismissed his application for condonation”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 13: “In February this year, nearly 11 months after an execution order was granted against him, Sondhlane filed a notice of appeal and again resumed practising.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 14: “After he was struck from the roll in January 2024, he began operating under the name LM Sondhlane Attorneys, trading as Sondhlane Attorneys.”
CORROBORATED
Confirmed by multiple independent sources, including the Sowetan and the legal case reference, stating he operated as LM Sondhlane Attorneys after being struck from the roll in January 2024.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago ... It should have been filed by 29 January 2024. The execution ... LM Sondhlane Attorneys trading as Sondhlane Attorneys. [27] In the ...
https://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZASCA/2026/78.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago ... After he was struck from the roll in January 2024, he began operating under the name LM Sondhlane Attorneys, trading as Sondhlane Attorneys.
https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-05-26-rogue-lawyers-luck…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago ... After he was struck from the roll in January 2024, he began operating under the name LM Sondhlane Attorneys, trading as Sondhlane Attorneys.
https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/sowetan/20260527/28…
info
Claim 15: “Xolile Yawa, who paid Sondhlane R45,000 in February 2021 to petition the SCA in a customary marriage and deceased estate dispute.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific detail about Xolile Yawa paying R45,000 in February 2021 is reported in a PressReader article, but not corroborated by other independent sources in the provided evidence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Xolile Yawa (born 29 September 1962 in Lady Frere, Eastern Cape) is a retired athlete from South Africa - ZA. He specialised in long-distance running, including marathons.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xolile_Yawa
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago · One complaint came from Xolile Yawa, who paid Sondhlane R45,000 in February 2021 to petition the SCA in a customary marriage and deceased estate ...
https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/sowetan/20260527/28…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) this week put an end to attorney Lebohang Michael Sondhlane’s mischievous behaviour of misleading the Legal Practice Council (LPC) and repeated appeals against his su…
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-05-26-rog…
info
Claim 16: “The court refused to condone his latest appeal.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the general outcome of the SCA ruling is corroborated, the specific detail about the 'refusal to condone his latest appeal' is mentioned in the context of the news reports but not explicitly detailed across multiple independent sources as a separate verified fact.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — João Maria Lobo Alves Palhares Costa Palhinha Gonçalves (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈɐ̃w̃ pɐˈʎiɲɐ]; born 9 July 1995) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/João_Palhinha
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hilton College is a South African private boarding school for boys located near the town of Hilton in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. It was founded in 1872 by Gould Arthur Lucas and Reverend William Orde…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Old_Hiltonians
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · This week, the Supreme Court of Appeal brought an end to attorney Lebohang Michael Sondhlane or should we say Lebohang Mokhele'spersistent and ...
https://www.facebook.com/mxolisiqakoshe/posts/this-week-the-…
+ 2 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.