Public law lecture to explore activism, outreach and the future of corporate law
UCT’s Department of Commercial Law will host a thought-provoking lecture by department academic Professor Tshepo Tong-Mongalo that will examine how activism and community outreach can shift the way corporate law is understood and applied in society.
Titled Modern Day Freedom Fighter: The different and urgent concerns of a 21st century activist, the lecture builds on Professor Tong-Mongalo’s longstanding scholarly work to “making company law make sense” beyond the confines of lecture halls, boardrooms and specialist legal practice.
When: Friday 29 May
Time: 12h30 – 14h00
Venue: Oliver Tambo Moot Court, Kramer Level 5
Professor Tong-Mongalo’s current research spans public offerings of securities, forms of corporate structuring, dematerialisation of corporate securities, corporate financing law, and corporate law and governance. Despite the technical nature of these specialist legal areas, Prof Tong-Mongalo’s recent work is increasingly focused on accessibility and public engagement.
At the heart of the lecture is the argument that corporate law should no longer be viewed as the exclusive preserve of specialists. Instead, Professor Tong-Mongalo advocates for a more inclusive and socially responsive understanding of the discipline — one that empowers ordinary citizens, students and communities to engage with issues that shape economic participation and accountability.
“Public perception is still married to the idea of corporate law as being a subject for specialists only,” he explains. “This misplaced perception should be displaced by activism efforts in the 21st century.”
The forthcoming lecture links directly to his current research, which explores how formal outreach programmes led by university graduates and academics can make corporate law more intelligible and relevant to communities. Through this approach, legal education moves out from being purely a scholarly pursuit, to include initiatives aimed at ensuring public understanding and participation.
The lecture also revisits themes first introduced during his Wits University inaugural lecture, Making Company Law Make Sense. While the inaugural address focused on challenging the elitism often associated with corporate law, this forthcoming public lecture expands that conversation by situating accessibility within the broader context of community activism.
For Professor Tong-Mongalo, the “modern-day freedom fighter” – usually understood as someone engaged in political struggle – is also someone committed to sharing knowledge, empowering communities and breaking down barriers that exclude people from participating in economic and legal systems. The lecture therefore calls on academics and graduates to embrace a more active social role by taking their expertise beyond universities and into communities where legal literacy and economic inclusion remain pressing concerns.
The target audience for this lecture includes both students and academics, particularly those interested in strengthening the role of the university in community engagement and in public interest initiatives in the corporate sector.
Joining Professor Tong-Mongalo for the event is Nhlanhla Xolani Mabuza, widely known as Coach NX Mabuza. A professional coach who trained through UCT’s Graduate School of Business, with expertise and research interests in mental wellness, Mabuza is the author of Conquering the Invisible Enemy, a book that explores the pursuit of personal ambition while maintaining mental health and wellbeing. His work centres on encouraging individuals who have gained knowledge and skills through higher education institutions to use those resources in service of broader society.
The lecture format will include presentations by both speakers followed by an interactive question-and-answer session. The event is intended not only as an academic engagement, but also as a “clarion call to action” for participants interested in community-based activism and outreach into communities across South Africa.
As debates around economic justice, governance and inclusion continue to evolve, Professor Tong-Mongalo’s lecture offers an important reminder that the language and structures of corporate law affect far more people than those working within the legal profession. By making these systems understandable and accessible, Prof Tong-Mongalo argues, academics and graduates can actively contribute to a more informed and empowered society.