Lawyer Douglas Shaw, who previously represented the hundreds of applicants in the R60 billion class action against banks, has officially had his mandate cancelled.
Image: Timothy Bernard Independent Newspapers

The Gauteng arm of the Legal Practice Council (LPC) is of the opinion that lawyer Douglas Shaw not only brought the legal profession into disrepute but committed a criminal offence when he appeared in the High Court without a Fidelity Fund Certificate.

The Investigating Committee of the LPC recommended that an urgent application be brought to suspend Shaw from the roll of legal practitioners. In a report filed with the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, Gauteng director of the LPC, Ignatius Briel, said the fact that Shaw has tried to rectify “his transgressions” after the fact does not assist him as the “offending conduct” is a matter of public record.

The report by the LPC followed an order delivered by Judge Leonie Windell in February, which was due to be the start of a week-long session to hear arguments as to whether hundreds of applicants could certify a class action against the major banks.

At the start of the proceedings, one of the banks dropped the proverbial bomb that a whistleblower revealed that Shaw does not have a Fidelity Fund Certificate. This hearing was set down after nearly six years of preparation for the case, in which the applicants claim that they had previously lost their homes at the hands of the banks in cases where this drastic step was not necessary.

Others complained that they were severely shortchanged as their homes were sold for far below their market price to recover outstanding debt.

The banks are contesting the application and in lengthy court papers stated that they do everything possible to protect default homeowners.

Judge Windell in February made it clear that Shaw cannot represent the applicants without the compulsory certificate. He explained that he has applied for the certificate but has been battling for months to obtain it.

The LPC has set out in its report that Shaw, who was admitted as an advocate in 2010, was given permission in 2024 to convert to an attorney. He held a Fidelity Fund Certificate, according to the LPC, until the end of 2025.

Shaw told the court in February that his certificate was extended for a month, thus until the end of January. The LPC disputed this and said in terms of the law, it cannot be extended as a new one has to be issued each year.

It acknowledged that Shaw had submitted an audit report for his practice, as required, but said this was only received on February 24 and approved on March 11. Another audit report was submitted on March 6 and has not yet been approved. It said his 2026 certificate could not be issued as there are outstanding issues, including with one of his audit reports and that he failed to submit an opening audit report.

While Shaw said he is trying his best to supply the LPC with all the necessary documents, the legal watchdog organisation said this is no excuse for appearing in court in February without the certificate.

Shaw in turn said he did not mislead anyone and that he did not address the court in February as a lawyer regarding the certification application. He said he merely pointed out the situation to the court and the arguments he did deliver pertained to personal costs orders the banks wanted him to face.

While Shaw and some of the other parties obtained the services of senior counsel to represent them further in the matter, Shaw is confident that his woes with the LPC will soon be sorted out. In his opinion, the LPC report is moot, as there is an understanding between him and the organisation that he will supply the outstanding documents.

He pointed out that he had a certificate each year and questioned why it’s a battle to obtain one this year.

He, meanwhile, reassured all the applicants in the certification application that the new “top” legal team will prepare and be ready for the class action which is now due to be heard in November.

Farmers are reporting alarming fuel shortages and rationing, jeopardising critical agricultural operations at a pivotal time in the production cycle.
Image: Supplied

FARMERS across multiple regions have reported constrained fuel supply and increasing instances of rationing, with retailers limiting volumes due to uncertainty around replenishment.

These constraints are beginning to affect normal farming and agribusiness operations at a critical time in the production cycle, AgriSA and Agbiz said.

The organisations called on the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to urgently consider a temporary adjustment to the current fuel pricing mechanism in response to emerging supply constraints in rural areas.

This followed the completion of a joint survey conducted among farmers and fuel retailers servicing the agricultural sector.

“Across multiple regions, respondents reported constrained supply and increasing instances of rationing.”

AgriSA and Agbiz proposed an immediate, out-of-cycle fuel price adjustment to better reflect current market conditions and the introduction of temporary more regular reviews, instead of the standard monthly adjustment, for the duration of the current energy price volatility.

“These measures are not intended to increase costs to the sector, but rather to ensure that pricing reflects underlying conditions more accurately, thereby reducing incentives for panic buying or supply withholding,” the organisations said.

Fuel represents a significant input cost in agriculture, typically accounting for between 12% and 18% of production costs. Any disruption in availability, particularly during peak planting, harvesting, or transport periods, poses a direct risk to food production, supply chains, and ultimately food security, AgriSA and Agbiz said.

Premier Alan Winde has also written to the Presidency and office of the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources to raise his concerns over what appears to be the increased hoarding of fuel stock by some suppliers.

“This is unethical. I implore suppliers to continue providing fuel for their clients. Withholding supply places the economy and livelihoods, especially in the province’s agriculture sector, which accounts for over 50% of the entire country’s exports, at great risk,” Winde said.

The provincial government said it is also aware of isolated incidents where filling stations in parts of the province are running short of fuel supply or have depleted their stocks and are unable to source certain fuel.

Diesel supply appears to be the worst affected due to high demand, particularly in the agriculture sector.

Winde said the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) is monitoring the situation, along with the Fuel Industry Association of South Africa (FIASA) and other key stakeholders.

“This week FIASA reassured the provincial government that there is currently sufficient fuel available nationally to meet demand. Therefore, any end user fuel shortages are very likely the result of market manipulation.”

A food shocker is in the pipeline as diesel goes up.
Image: Pezels

When the South African Reserve Bank models inflation risks, it starts with oil prices and the rand.

But for South African households, the real impact is far more immediate – and far more tangible – at the supermarket till.

Governor Lesetja Kganyago said the central bank had modelled two scenarios tied to sustained higher oil prices. In the first, oil averages close to $100 a barrel, and the rand weakens by around 5%, pushing inflation above 4% and requiring an additional interest rate increase this year.

In a more severe scenario, where oil remains above $100 for over a year, and the rand weakens by about 10%, inflation exceeds 5%, and several rate hikes would be required before it returns to target by 2028.

In both cases, growth is weaker initially before there is some catch-up later, Kganyago said. That is the macroeconomic framing. The reality for households sits much closer to home – and it runs through diesel.

The shock

A potential increase of around R11 per litre in diesel from 1 April represents a structural cost shock, not a marginal adjustment.

• Fuel is embedded across the entire food system:
• production through tractors and irrigation
• processing through energy-intensive operations
• logistics through long-distance transport
• retail through backup power and distribution

South Africa’s supply chain is heavily road-based, with roughly 80% of goods transported by truck. That system is overwhelmingly diesel-powered, with millions of commercial vehicles moving goods across the country daily.

Transport alone can account for up to 10% to 15% of the final price of food, depending on distance and product type.

A jump from roughly R25/litre to R36/litre implies a 44% increase in diesel costs.

Even partial pass-through has a measurable impact. Some crude mathematics based just on headline inflation expectations across this piece, with the anticipated fuel price hike, shows that:

• transport channel alone – about 4.4% upward pressure on food prices
• broader system effects – realistically 6% to 10% food inflation

That is before factoring in a weaker rand, which raises the cost of imported inputs like fertiliser and fuel itself.