Law students at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) have received a valuable boost to their academic journey, thanks to a donation of textbooks from ProBono.org and the Cape Town Attorneys’ Association.
Speaking at a handover event hosted by the UWC Faculty of Law, Student Representative Council President Mcntosh Khasembe expressed heartfelt appreciation for the contribution. He emphasised that textbooks are more than just printed material—they are vital tools for intellectual empowerment. He called it “knowledge emancipation”, which is especially significant at an institution like UWC, where many students face financial challenges. He also highlighted that as one of the country’s lowest fee-paying universities, UWC serves a student population that often struggles to afford even basic academic resources.
“Knowledge is very important for each and every student here, striving to become something in a society that I believe lacks leaders,” said Khasembe.
UWC alum and now attorney Richard Atkins of Adriaans Attorneys, representing the Cape Town Attorneys Association, spoke of how he battled as a student because he did not have a laptop, scuttling between the resource centre at the law faculty and the library making photocopies of text books.
A law student, Thembisile Shabangu, a representative of the Leaders in Demand, who was at the handover, said the donation of textbooks would help many. Another student, Naledi Ramotsobi, a representative of Students for Law and Social Justice, agreed and said the donation would bring relief to countless students who battled through their studies and exams.
ProBono.org’s Western Cape regional manager, Masi Ncube, said he can relate to many of the struggles conveyed by students.
“We’re hoping that this donation will somehow alleviate that particular issue, I don’t think it's going to completely eradicate it, but we are here to support the faculty and the students of UWC to see how we can play our role to bridge those gaps,” said Ncube.
The Dean of the Law Faculty, Prof Jacques De Ville, and the faculty’s Community Engagement Coordinator, Cherith Sanger, expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the donation and plan to partner and collaborate with these organisations on other student and community initiatives.
