Teffo’s disbarment long time coming, not due to conspiracy

Malesela Teffo was yesterday struck off the roll of legal practitioners. He had been facing the threat of disbarment since at least 2019.

Provincial director of the Legal Practice Council (LPC) Johan van Staden said the application to have Teffo struck off the roll was not brought because of his conduct in the Meyiwa case.

Instead, the LPC had already decided to proceed with this application in 2019. The decision to strike him off the roll was handed down by the High Court in Pretoria yesterday following an application brought by the LPC to disbar him.

The council had cited 22 allegations some of which date back as far as 2015 and range from misleading the court, misappropriation of monies of clients to assault and corruption.

“Advocate Teffo is hereby removed from the roll of legal practitioners,” said Acting Justice Thembi Bokako, with Judge Justice Nyathi, concurring.

Attorney Mpumelelo Zikalala of Zikalala Attorneys said Teffo can appeal the decision because it was made in a lower court.

Zikalala said he can appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal and if that fails he can approach the Constitutional Court.

“Once he appeals, the court’s order is suspended. If the LPC wants him not to work during the course of the appeal, they need to make an application to court to state where the prejudice is,” he said.

LPC spokesperson Thipe Mothle said should Teffo appeal, they would oppose the application. “If he gets leave to appeal, then I will make an application to court to say, instead of this order suspending the real order of striking Teffo, I want the decision to still stand and he must not practise in the meantime while waiting for the final decision,” he said.

In handing the judgment down, Bokako said Teffo was aware of all the allegations levelled against him but had failed to respond.

Bokako said Teffo did not deny that he had misappropriated clients’ funds and that he failed to cooperate with the LPC when he was called to respond to allegations levelled against him.

Bokako found that Teffo accepted monies from clients without a brief from an attorney, which is not allowed as advocates can only accept briefs from attorneys.

She further found Teffo instructed clients to pay money in his account but failed to render services.

Teffo’s recent conduct came under the spotlight when he represented four of the five men accused of the murder of footballer Senzo Meyiwa and accused Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela of using witchcraft against him.

On Thursday he tried to barge into Maumela’s chambers.

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