The Stellenbosch University (SU) Legal Aid Clinic will continue to provide access to free, effective and quality legal services, fight illegal evictions on behalf of farm workers, give law students the opportunity to develop practical skills in a clinical setting, and do ongoing research in eviction law – all thanks to the support of partners such as the Claude Leon Foundation.
The Claude Leon Foundation has supported the Legal Aid Clinic since 2007 and recently announced the continuation of this aid with a grant of R1 million spread over two years starting from 2018.
This South African charitable trust has been a valuable partner of SU for more than 30 years and has contributed more than R45 million towards postdoctoral fellowships, merit awards for lecturers, honours bursaries and the expansion and operations of the Legal Aid Clinic, among others.
The foundation originated from a bequest made by Claude Leon (1884–1972) in 1962. Leon was the founder and managing director of the Elephant Trading Company and helped start and finance several large South African companies, including Anglovaal, OK Bazaars and Edgars.
The Claude Leon Foundation supports projects that tie in with its five strategic themes: building research capacity in higher education, supporting innovation in schooling, early childhood development, defending democracy, and building opportunities for post-school youth.
“We thank the Claude Leon Foundation for its continued support of and investment in what we do. We truly value the significant contribution that this foundation continues to make to the Legal Aid Clinic and the community we serve," said Mr Theo Broodryk of SU's Faculty of Law.
“As we regard their work to be of considerable importance, we are delighted to continue our close association with the Legal Aid Clinic," said Mr William (Bill) Frankel (OBE), chairperson of the foundation.
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