According to reports, the Justice Group within the Nationalist Party, headed by lawyer and MP Tom Langley, is advising the government on the possibility of preventing money entering South Africa from abroad to pay legal costs incurred during political trials, inquests and claims.
Such assistance has been described as 'political interference' by Beeld newspaper. Langley himself said "in some cases the money is politically tainted... and is being wasted", adding that South Africa possessed "a very effective system of legal aid" for those without funds. In fact the system is not effective. It makes provision for pro deo counsel in trials on capital charges, and financial help in other cases for 'indigent people' which operates on a racially-adjusted means test. The Legal Aid Board was established in 1969 and in its first six years received and granted nine applications for assistance from people charged under security laws.
In complex political cases pro deo counsel, appointed and paid by the State, is not considered adequate as one man - usually a junior lawyer - appears without the normal assistance of instructing attorneys or other members of a legal team. The fee is usually a flat rate of R30 a day while preparation costs are high.
