POLL | Do you think a plan to get Malesela Teffo off Meyiwa murder trial was hatched in Ramaphosa’s office?

Adv Malesela Teffo, who represented four of the accused in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, had tongues wagging on Tuesday after alleging that a plan to get him off the trial was hatched in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office.

Teffo told the Pretoria high court he was withdrawing from the case as counsel. He was tired of the “harassment” he had suffered while on the case.

He alleged the state and judge Tshifhiwa Maumela were also part of the “clique” that wants him removed from this case.

Teffo was arrested in April shortly after the trial adjourned. He was handcuffed, led from court and taken to the Hillbrow police station.

He had previously been arrested on charges of common assault and trespassing after allegedly assaulting a woman SAPS member and entering the SAPS Gauteng provincial building in contravention of a high court interdict.

After failing to appear in the Hillbrow magistrate’s court on several occasions, including January 27, a warrant of arrest had been issued but withheld. The case was remanded to February 10.

Teffo was not in court and bail was forfeited to the state. An instruction was issued for the warrant of arrest to be executed.

This week, he told the Pretoria high court that while he was withdrawing from representing four of the five accused, he would continue with his watching brief on behalf of the Meyiwa family as he was appointed by Sfiso Meyiwa, Senzo’s brother.

“I am a human being. I have got emotions. I have got feelings. I deserve and I demand respect. The reason I can no longer be in court and face you, [is that] there are serious allegations wherein you are accused number one,” Teffo said.

The case was postponed to August 2 to afford the four accused time to find a new legal representative.

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