Africa-Press – South-Africa. The controversial Malesela Teffo has been barred from attending the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial after being chased out of court for trying to bring an application, despite being disbarred.
As proceedings got under way in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Thursday, the State and legal representatives of the accused confirmed their appearances, as is the procedure.
Immediately afterwards, the disbarred advocate Teffo, wearing his robe, the prescribed dress code for legal practitioners appearing before a high court, rose to introduce himself.
“I’m advocate MD Teffo, I am appearing on behalf of Sifiso Meyiwa, the brother of the deceased in this matter,” Teffo said.
Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela said there was no Sifiso Meyiwa in the matter before him.
He then asked an orderly to remove Teffo from court.
Teffo kept trying to interject, and said:
Before going further, Teffo was escorted out of the courtroom.
“The interruptions by Mr Teffo are interfering with the proceedings, they are undermining the decorum of the court,” Maumela said after Teffo left.
Maumela then told the orderlies that Teffo should not be allowed back in the courtroom.
Teffo’s antics
This is not the first time that Teffo has disrupted the trial since he formally withdrew as defence counsel for four of the accused in July 2022.
On Wednesday, Teffo appeared in court, fully robed, and attempted to make submissions as a supposed watching brief.
This was while the court was dealing with an application by the State that the testimony of the witness, Zandi Khumalo, not be recorded live by broadcast media.
On another occasion, Teffo appeared in court with a supposed instructing attorney.
What makes the appearances more incredulous is that not only does Teffo not represent any person in the trial, but he is disbarred, meaning he is not able to practise as an advocate.
Following an application by the Legal Practice Council (LPC), Teffo was struck from the roll of advocates in September 2022.
Contempt of court
In disbarring Teffo, the high court found that he lacked a sense of responsibility, honesty and integrity – and no longer met the threshold for a fit and proper advocate.
The court based its findings after accepting evidence from the LPC that Teffo had taken briefs directly from clients – which is unlawful – and had been receiving money for these briefs from clients without a fidelity fund.
The court found he had misled it in different cases, when appearing as counsel, and breached a court order when he entered a police building, despite an interdict preventing him from doing so.
Despite this, Teffo has continued practising as an advocate.
The LPC has since lodged an urgent application to have Teffo held in contempt of court for continuing to practise.
In its court papers, filed with the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, the LPC set out instances where Teffo was in contempt of court relating to the striking-off order, which included his recent appearances in the Senzo Meyiwa trial.
“Mr Teffo’s wilfulness and mala fides (purpose to deceive or defraud) in refusing to comply with the court’s order is clearly evidenced,” the LPC said.
The LPC asked that Teffo be found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to a year in prison, wholly suspended.
Teffo’s attorneys have filed a notice to oppose the application.
Meanwhile, the trial of the five men accused of murdering the former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper is expected to continue on Friday.
Meyiwa was shot and killed in his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s mother’s house in Vosloorus on 26 October 2014.
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