Advocate Teffo’s arrest in court sparks outrage

The arrest of the defence advocate in the Senzo Meyiwa trial in the High Court in Pretoria on Thursday has been frowned upon by the public, prosecutors and political parties.

The high-profile murder case of soccer star Meyiwa took a dramatic turn when defence advocate Malesela Teffo, representing four of the five suspects, was arrested moments after the case was postponed.

Teffo said during his arrest that Police Minister Bheki Cele didn’t want him on the case and that he was not read his rights, nor informed of the reasons for the warrant of arrest.

Cele has since asked for a full report regarding Teffo’s arrest in the high court.

READ MORE: Cele responds to allegations he doesn’t want Teffo on Meyiwa case

Teffo’s arrest now adds to the many conspiracy theories surrounding Meyiwa’s death in 2014. He was arrested after failing to appear on a trespassing charge, after allegedly trespassing in a police station while representing a client.

ALSO READ: Advocate Malesela Teffo released on R10 000 bail

Yesterday, Teffo appeared in the Hillbrow Magistrate’s Court and was granted bail of R10 000 and ordered to return on 27 May.

Police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said the national commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Fannie Masemola, had noted the arrest.

“General Masemola has since been made aware that there is a warrant of arrest for advocate Teffo and has henceforth requested the provincial commissioner of Gauteng, Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela, to submit a report on the matter,” Mathe said.

AfriForum’s private prosecution unit led by advocate Gerrie Nel, who had a watching brief on behalf of Senzo’s mother Ntombifuthi Meyiwa, said he was speechless at Teffo’s arrest.

“This is a clear example of police being unprofessional and incompetent. To keep a warrant in abeyance and use the warrant to embarrass an advocate in court is ludicrous,” he said.

Nel said the arrest had tainted the case.

Chair of the General Council of the Bar of South Africa Craig Watt-Pringle said the bar was deeply concerned about the arrest.

“The police were slow to issue any explanation for this affront to the dignity of the court and its high-handed treatment of an officer of that court, and the provincial commission was unable to provide any explanation,” he said.

Watt-Pringle said it was yet to be revealed whether there were good grounds for Teffo’s arrest.

“If there are good grounds, he ought to have been arrested like any other person.”

He said the General Council of the Bar had called for the matter to be investigated by an independent body and the outcome made public without delay.

Security expert Dr Johan Burger said: “The police ought to know where he stays and where his offices are and could have made an arrangement to visit him there.”

NOW READ: Advocate Teffo’s arrest disrespected court, must be probed, says General Council of the Bar