Professor Mangany Reddi
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) School of Law falls within the College of Law and Management Studies with two campuses: Durban and Pietermaritzburg. The Law School is one of the biggest contact law schools in South Africa, with an impressive curriculum and a rich history of student success. Led by Professor Managay Reddi, it is set to continue as one of the country’s leading legal training grounds.
“We offer the same LLB qualifications on both campuses as well as postgraduate qualifications in law in the forms of a master’s and PhD; we also have postgraduate diplomas in Industrial Relations, and Forensic Investigations and Criminal Justice at our Durban campus,” says Reddi. “Our LLB programme is offered as both a full- and part-time option on both campuses. The latter allows access to study to those who would not ordinarily be able to undertake the degree on a full-time basis.”
Through this varied course offering and by specialising in certain niche areas the school caters to the needs of an array of students, allowing for greater reach in education and supporting attendees in achieving their academic goals.
“One of our areas that we are immensely proud of is maritime law and studies — we have set up a Maritime Law and Maritime Studies Unit which is oriented at PhDs and postgraduate qualifications and building capacity both nationally and internationally,” says Reddi. “The other niche areas are in Criminal Justice and Environmental Law.”
The school offers an education that is mindful of the transformative dictates of the Constitution and incorporates this understanding into everything that it does. The LLB is highly relevant to the changing South African landscape and has been structured to grow and adapt along with it.
“Our education is relevant not just to those who want to follow the legal profession, but also to those who want to take advantage of an array of opportunities that arise as a result of [completing] a law degree,” says Reddi. “[Due to] the nature of our location and our ethos, any student who graduates from our law school not only changes their own life, but also impacts on their community. We have a system of scholarships and bursaries for students that do well, and we provide a chance for students from highly disadvantaged communities to come to the school, and we give them the support they need to succeed.”
One of the school’s success stories is Ntokozo Qwabe, a young man who could not afford to finish his first year of education because of limited finances. He left the school and went to work at Checkers, initially as a trolley collector and later as a cashier, and through this work he managed to save up enough money to return to the university.
“His first year was so outstanding he qualified for financial support for subsequent years and finished his studies Summa Cum Laude,” says Reddi. “He then applied for the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship and won nationally against the scores of others; he went on to complete his master’s at UCT and did further studies at Oxford. Had it not been for the way in which we structure our programmes and support our students this talent would have been lost.”
The school’s students regularly receive prestigious scholarships such as the Emma Smith Scholarship, Rhodes Scholarship and Mandela Rhodes Scholarship, reflecting the quality of the education received at the UKZN School of Law.
“Our students not only perform well within the institution, but they also hold their own nationally,” concludes Reddi. “Many of our students are active judges or have impressive legal careers and this is testament to our educational offering.”