Mandisa Jwara

In my current role as a Senior Legal Administration Officer within the Department of Health, I am responsible for providing specialised legal support in contract vetting and negotiations across a wide range of commercial and service-related agreements. I also manage civil litigation matters, including coordinating legal strategy, engaging with the Office of the State Attorney, and liaising with appointed counsel. As part of my portfolio, I serve on a Licensing Adjudication Committee, and Policy Development Committee.

I further provide internal legal advisory services to various units, including the Office of the health MEC. In addition to supervising a team of eight junior legal professionals, I offer guidance on complex matters, coordinate work allocation, and support professional development within the team. Through these responsibilities, I continue to contribute to strengthened governance, improved legal compliance, and effective legal operations within the organisation.

Senior Legal Administration Officer at Gauteng Department of Health (2025-09 – Present)

• Drafting and vetting commercial contracts
• Managing litigation for contractual claims and reducing legal risk of the department
• Providing legal opinions and advice to support service delivery and strategic decision-making
• Drafting Terms of Reference and ensuring compliance with regulations
• Identifying and mitigating legal risks and responding to audit queries and legal challenges
• Supervising junior legal staff, mentoring them, and overseeing their work in contract drafting and legal research
• Managing the daily operations of the legal unit, particularly in contract management and legal compliance
• Representing the department in committees and legal forums
• Contributing to the development of departmental policies aligned with legal and regulatory frameworks
• Draft and review policies

Jnr Legal Advisor at Haleon South Africa (2025-05 – Present)

• Drafting and vetting commercial agreements, service level agreements, NDAs, and supplier contracts
• Assisting in contract negotiations with internal stakeholders and external parties
• Identifying legal risks in contracts and proposing mitigation strategies
• Ensuring compliance with the Companies Act, and CIPC filings
• Providing legal opinions and guidance to business units
• Helping draft and review internal policies and procedures
• Monitoring and advising on compliance with relevant laws / industry-specific regulations

Legal Officer at Kellogg Company of South Africa (2025-02 – Present)

• Implementing compliance framework
• Monitor regulatory changes and advise on operational adjustments
• Contract drafting, reviewing, negotiation and management
• Internal & External stakeholder management
• Legal Advisory
• Conduct training and regular legal updates
• Due-diligence screenings
• Effective root cause analysis, problem solving and implementation of corrective and preventative measures

Legal Assistant at Kellogg Company of South Africa (2024-09 – Present)

• Managing day-to-day business operation for the legal department
• Contract drafting, reviewing, negotiation and management
• Legal support for the Executive Committee and the business
• Company documentation management
• Legal advisory duties
• Policy reviews
• Administrating regulatory compliance
• Developing compliant processes and maintaining procedures conducting policy training
• Stakeholder management
• Communication and handling correspondence
• Document preparation, creating, and editing
• Compile trackers on matters and pending contracts
• Efficiently process invoices and communicate monthly expected landing
• Effective root cause analysis, problem solving and implementation of corrective and preventative measures

Legal Graduate Intern at Kellogg Company of South Africa (2023-09 – 2024-08)

• Managed day-to-day legal responsibilities for Kellogg South Africa, including oversight during a 1-year managerial tenure
• Ensured compliance with all legal and contractual obligations, implementing preventive measures
• Negotiated and approved significant contracts, while managing associated risks
• Facilitated compliance training programs and oversaw the legality of major contracts
• Collaborated with corporate departments on technical service agreements and conflict resolution with third parties
• Provided legal advice
• Managed POPIA compliance auditing and implementation
• First point of contact with external legal stakeholders

Candidate legal Practitioner at Legal Aid Board (2019-07 – 2021-07)

• Supported attorneys with legal research, drafting legal documents including pleadings, briefs, file notes and contracts
• Attended the Magistrates Court proceedings and participated in client consultations, hearings, and other legal processes with and without supervision
• Provided legal advice, prepared and organized case materials, documents, and evidence for both litigation and the Master of the High Court
• Conducted document reviews and analysis as part of discovery processes and the administration of deceased estates
• Maintained accurate records of case activities, deadlines, and communications
• Participated in firm meetings, training sessions, and professional development opportunities
• Maintained good relations with stakeholders and attended community outreach

Bachelor of Laws in Laws – University of KwaZulu-Natal (2017)

Grade 12 (Matric) – Queensburgh Girls High School (2012)