Pretoria - Advocate Malesela Teffo has warned the judges in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria that a decision against him “will cause serious unrest in the country”.
Two judges of the court are still writing their judgment on whether Teffo, recently involved in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, should be removed from the roll or not.
Teffo was armed only with a copy of the Constitution when he faced the Legal Practice Council in court two weeks ago. The body asked the court to remove him as practitioner, as he was not a fit person to practise law.
It argued in detail the merits of 22 complaints received from, among others, members of the public, against Teffo. He, in turn, said he had no idea he was facing these allegations and insisted on the matter being postponed so that he could defend himself.
This was despite the judges pointing out that there was documentary proof that he had known exactly what he was facing for more than a year.
Now, almost two weeks after the court reserved judgment, Teffo filed heads of argument in which he said the hearing resembled “kangaroo court proceedings”.
“The two presiding officers are warned not to make decision (sic) on the basis of emotions. The decision informed by the emotions on the part of these two judges will cause serious unrest in the country, considering the fact that the decision may adversely affect many people, whom advocate Teffo is legally representing, including the emotional (sic) charged Meyiwa murder case,” he said in the document delivered to the judges.
Teffo earlier defended accused Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube and Mthokoziseni Maphisa, before he had made a grand exit in withdrawing as counsel.
He told the court he was quitting, citing what he said was “harassment” from the court and the State. But earlier this month he wanted to return as counsel in the murder trial, providing a long list of demands were met.
The trial was postponed to next month to decide on the way forward.
Teffo, in his latest bid to maintain his position as advocate, said the families of the accused had pinned their hopes on him to defend them.
He said it was also evident that “the people of South Africa are hopeful” that he would “expose the political interference” in the Meyiwa case and the “corrupt relationship” between the SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority.
“Any adverse findings against advocate Malesela Teffo will set the whole country on fire. Our African Arab-Spring may be inevitable as stated by the former state president Thabo Mbeki recently.”
Teffo warned further that, “for the sake of peace in this country”, the two judges deciding on his future should “not allow their emotions to take charge of them”.
Judges Stanley Nyathi and Acting Judge Thembi Bokako were earlier this month patient with Teffo during arguments and time and again asked him to address the complaints levelled against him by the legal watchdog.
Teffo gave a blanket denial of all the complaints and proceeded to address “his rights as an accused”, as set out in the Constitution.
The court pointed out that this was not a criminal trial.
Pretoria News