Advocate Malesela Teffo lifted a can of worms in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial when, on Wednesday, he was ushered out of the North Gauteng High Court in handcuffs.
Conspiracy theories swirl around courtroom arrest
The dramatic scenes were caught on camera and, more than anything, left the public with more questions about the police’s conduct. Advocate Teffo, who represents four of the five murder-accused suspects, was not read his rights, nor was he informed of any charges he was facing.
Instead, a lead investigator, accompanied by armed officials, presented a warrant of arrest issued in January 2022 with no additional information on charges, and manhandled the attorney into submission, before whisking him away to a jail cell.
In a statement, the office of SAPS’ national commissioner issued a statement confirming the arrest has been noted by the country’s top cop General Fannie Masemola and “requested the Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela to submit a report on the matter.”
Still, this did not stop social media ‘sherlocks’ from linking the bizarre arrest to conspiracy theories surrounding the murder and subsequent investigation of Meyiwa’s murder.
If Anything happens to Adv Teffo while he is behind bars, we know exactly who to blame.. MAKUNYIWE ONCE✊🏿✊🏿… Bheki Cele, Kelly Khumalo and their SAPS must Fokof 😡😡 #SenzoMeyiwatrial pic.twitter.com/SV91uumVUO
— Tebza (@Aluta_Continua6) April 28, 2022
No matter how many people they try & pay off or even try to silence the likes of Adv Teffo. Bheki Cele, Kelly Khumalo, Chicco & CO you all look extremely guilty. SAns are not stupid at all, the rope will eventually snap.
— Nela Qubeka (@Real_NelaQubeka) April 28, 2022
Five things to know about Advocate Malesela Teffo
Advocate Teffo was released shortly after the publicised arrest. In a statement to SA FM, the lawyer claimed the arrest warrant presented to him was fraudulent.
Before Wednesday’s wild courtroom display, Advocate Teffo was well-renowned in legal corridors as a talented lawyer. However, what the public may not be aware of, is that Teffo has been a thorn on the side of law enforcement for quite some time.
Teffo has butted heads with Bheki Cele before
Teffo and Bheki Cele do not see eye-to-eye, according to a Mail & Guardian report. In September 2021, Cele allegedly threatened the advocate with violence after he’d challenged the police minister’s decision to provide anti-corruption whistleblower Thabiso Zulu protection.
Perhaps, this was to show loyalty to political heads and police honchos since, after all, Zulu was on a campaign to expose the extent of corruption within law enforcement and politics in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)?
Teffo was a member of post-1994 SAPS
Teffo specialises in protecting members of the South African police from malicious disciplinary procedures. This forms the majority of his clientele and it makes all the sense in the world. The advocate, it turns out, was a SAPS recruit shortly after South Africa became a Republic in 1994.
Teffo was arrested twice in 2021 under dubious circumstances
The tussle between Teffo and the police culminated in two questionable arrests affected against the lawyer. The first was for a contempt charge, where Teffo had apparently failed to appear for a labour-related matter. The second arrest was for a trespassing and alleged assault charge.
Details from SAfmBTH pic.twitter.com/7iAdzZ0ocA
— Vusi Biyela | Prince of Nkandla 🤴🏾 (@VusBiyel) April 28, 2022
