Chigo Mabila

Pro bono

• Served on the legal team acting for the Helen Suzman Foundation in its review application against the Minister of Home Affairs concerning the termination of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits.
• Forced and coerced sterilisation of HIV positive women in South Africa - Representing Her Rights Initiative and 89 women who were subjected to forced or coercive sterilisation in public healthcare facilities, contributing to evidence gathering, coordinating expert engagement and advancing initiatives aimed at accountability and improved protection of women’s reproductive rights.
• Child Justice work in Zambia - Coordinated regional research and facilitated stakeholder consultations to advance diversion practices under the Zambia Child Justice Project. Provided capacity building through training sessions for child justice actors and delivered presentations in Kitwe and Eastern Province on the Child Code Act, 2002 with a focus on its diversion framework.
• Mentorship Programme for African Women Lawyers in Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda – Co-leading the African Women Lawyers Mentoring Programme in collaboration with a DLA Piper client, coordinating mentors from Africa, Asia and the Middle East to support early‑career women lawyers in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria. Involved in programme design, stakeholder engagement and the delivery of structured career‑planning and professional‑development support
• Sentencing for corruption and financial crimes in Zambia -Coordinated comparative research across multiple African countries to support the Zambian Judiciary in developing sentencing guidelines for financial and corruption related offences.
• Legal Training for SMMEs in South Africa - Leading the development and implementation of legal capacity‑building workshops for sustainability‑oriented SMMEs, enhancing their understanding of key legal frameworks and compliance requirements
• Advocacy and Support for Individuals Facing Administrative and Social Barriers in South Africa - Provided legal and advocacy support to vulnerable individuals and community organisations, including addressing housing disputes, facilitating access to identity documentation, and representing students experiencing mental health related academic exclusion.

Corporate and commercial

• Provided commercial legal support to construction sector clients by drafting contract and company law opinions, preparing corporate governance documentation with accompanying CIPC filings, contributing to business rescue matters through drafting transaction documents and rescue plans and conducting dispute related research, and advising on compliance obligations under the Companies Act, PPPFA and B‑BBEE legislation.

*Denotes experience from previous firm