Calls for the introduction of lasting or enduring powers of attorney (LPA or EPA) into South African legislation from several quarters over many years have been falling on deaf ears. According to the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa this is an urgent matter. As things stand, the power of attorney extended to any other person lapses when the person who extended the power loses the legal capacity to act. This could be due to mental illness, advanced age, head injury or when the person enters a comatose condition. FISA says South Africans should be allowed to appoint someone who can look after their well-being and assets when they cannot do so themselves. To unpack this Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Louis van Vuren, CEO of the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (Fisa)