Former Attorney Langelihle Dube Receives 10-Year Sentence for Misappropriating Client Funds

In a significant ruling that reiterates the ethical responsibilities of legal professionals, former attorney Langelihle Dube, aged 52, has been handed down a 10-year prison sentence by the Durban specialised commercial crimes court. This verdict arrives as a result of Dube’s fraudulent activities, during which he misappropriated R2.3 million that was entrusted to him by clients for safekeeping and proper disbursement.

Between the years 2009 and 2011, Dube betrayed the trust of two of his clients by diverting sizable amounts of money that rightfully belonged to them. In a grievous instance, R1.4 million from the Road Accident Fund (RAF), which was intended to support a young boy gravely injured in a motor vehicle incident, was directed into Dube's trust account and subsequently withheld by him. Additionally, Dube appropriated R900,000 earmarked as an insurance payout connected with a deceased estate, once again failing to distribute these funds to the entitled beneficiaries.

The case against Dube unfolded after diligent investigative efforts by the Attorneys Fidelity Fund and the police led to his arrest. Upon delivering the sentence, Natasha Kara, the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, elucidated Dube’s actions and their severe ramifications.

Senior state advocate Wendy O’Brien, in her address during the sentencing, emphasized the magnitude of trust placed upon attorneys and the paramount duty they owe their clients to act with integrity and honesty. She pointed out that Dube not only failed his clients but also significantly damaged the reputation of the legal profession overall.

In a departure from the norm, the court recognized Dube’s poor health as a mitigating factor, which led to his receiving a lighter sentence than the prescribed minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment for each count of theft he faced. Ultimately, Dube was sentenced to 10 years for the misappropriation of the R1.4m, and an eight-year term for the theft of R900,000, with the sentences to be served concurrently.

This case sends a clear message regarding accountability and the legal community’s intolerance toward unethical conduct by its members. The ruling also serves as a deterrent to other practitioners who might contemplate abusing their positions of trust for personal gain.