The protest turned tense as anger boiled over outside the Department of Justice in Pretoria as Legal Aid South Africa workers were told the Minister of Justice failed to meet them to receive their memorandum, despite allegedly being informed months ago. The workers say unresolved grievances, including frozen vacancies, excessive workloads, salary disparities and the retirement age of 60, are undermining their working conditions. But beyond the labor dispute, the ongoing strike is raising concerns about access to justice, with some accused people reportedly appearing in court without free legal representation and cases being postponed. Musa Mhlongo reports