#136: South Africa: I was the law (but the law won)

Two men appeared in a South African court after they were unmasked
as bogus lawyers, having called a magistrate "your majesty" and asking
him to explain the term "previous convictions".

Goodman Mokoena and Moses Moloi fooled staff at the Katlehong Magistrate’s
Court south of Johannesburg when, dressed in black robes, they appeared
before the bench to represent a client charged with assault.

Mokoena told the court he was a lawyer and said Moloi was his assistant.

But the Johannesburg daily The Star reported that their cover wore thin
when Mokoena addressed the magistrate as "your majesty", instead of the
accepted title of "your honour". The twosome’s luck ran out completely
when Mokoena asked the magistrate what he meant by "previous convictions".

When the two failed to provide a business address, telling the magistrate
they had just moved, he had them arrested.

The two who turned out to be unemployed appeared in court charged with
impersonating legal officers. They both opted to have lawyers represent
them in their case.

[Ripped from the "Out of Africa International" newsletter]

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