Suspended sentence for disbarred advocate Teffo for failure to comply with strike-off order

The Pretoria high court found former advocate Malesela Teffo in contempt of a strike-off order, sentencing him to 12 months' suspended imprisonment.  

In a judgment handed down electronically on Friday, the high court declared Teffo to be in contempt of court for disobeying several aspects of the September 16 strike-off order.

This after the South African Legal Practice Council (LPC) launched a contempt of court application against Teffo earlier this year. 

Teffo had interrupted proceedings when he attempted to address the court in the first Senzo Meyiwa murder trial in the Pretoria high court despite being struck off the roll of legal practitioners.

He appeared on May 17, clothed in counsel's robes, before judge Tshifhiwa Maumela and demanded to address the court. He purported to represent Meyiwa's brother and stated he had “been given instructions". 

He also told the court he “had a watching brief”.

The appearance took place a week after the contempt application had been served on him. 

Teffo was struck off the roll in September 2022. 

On Friday the court sentenced Teffo to imprisonment for 12 months. The order was suspended on condition he immediately comply in full with the strike-off order.

“The applicant [LPC] shall be entitled to bring an application, whether urgent or otherwise, for an order that the suspended sentence be given effect to immediately should the respondent continue to breach the strike-off order,” reads the judgment.

The high court dismissed Teffo's counter-application and recession/variation application. 

“The respondent [Teffo] is directed to pay the costs of the contempt application as well as the applications mentioned in paragraph 6 supra on the attorney and client scale, which costs shall include the costs consequent upon the employment of two counsel and all reserved costs," reads the judgment. 

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