News / National
Ramaphosa's office planned to get Advocate Teffo off Meyiwa murder trial
14 Jul 2022 at 03:09hrs | Views
"On the 28th of April when I was arrested before your court, that was a plan, and the plan was hatched in the office of the president - the number one office in the country," said Teffo.
He was arrested shortly after the Meyiwa trial had adjourned. He was handcuffed and led from court where he was taken to Hillbrow.
Teffo had previously been arrested on charges of common assault and trespassing after allegedly assaulting a female SAPS member and entering the SAPS Gauteng provincial building in contravention of a high court interdict.
After failing to appear before 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 finally to the state. An instruction was issued by the court for the warrant of arrest to be executed.
But Teffo maintained there was something more sinister to his arrest.
"[It was said] that I am a problematic advocate, that my clients should take the responsibility of the murder of Senzo Meyiwa despite the fact that they were innocent," Teffo said.
TimesLIVE has reached out to Ramaphosa's office for comment on Teffo's allegations, but his spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.
Teffo told the 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, referring to his complaints against Maumela
"Before I can even accept the case ... to represent the four accused, there has been harassment that I should not be part of this case, from the police and the NPA. I came in to this case knowing ... the consequences," he added.
Meyiwa, who was goalkeeper for Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana, was gunned down in October 2014 at the house of the mother of his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo.
Khumalo and others who were in the Vosloorus home at the time said Meyiwa was killed in a botched robbery.
Teffo, however, has suggested otherwise. He had called for the charges against his clients to be withdrawn and insisted charges be laid against Khumalo, her mother, sister, her sister's boyfriend and two of Meyiwa's friends who were present at the time of the shooting.
Teffo's withdrawal from the case was accepted.
The case was provisionally postponed to August 2 for the accused to find new representatives.
He was arrested shortly after the Meyiwa trial had adjourned. He was handcuffed and led from court where he was taken to Hillbrow.
Adv Teffo is Right Cyril Ramaphosa Must Go #PhalaPhalaFarmGate pic.twitter.com/ikKXlVMPsa
— Ndabezitha 🖤💚💛👑 (@KingMntungwa) July 13, 2022
Teffo had previously been arrested on charges of common assault and trespassing after allegedly assaulting a female SAPS member and entering the SAPS Gauteng provincial building in contravention of a high court interdict.
After failing to appear before 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 finally to the state. An instruction was issued by the court for the warrant of arrest to be executed.
But Teffo maintained there was something more sinister to his arrest.
"[It was said] that I am a problematic advocate, that my clients should take the responsibility of the murder of Senzo Meyiwa despite the fact that they were innocent," Teffo said.
TimesLIVE has reached out to Ramaphosa's office for comment on Teffo's allegations, but his spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.
Teffo told the 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, referring to his complaints against Maumela
"Before I can even accept the case ... to represent the four accused, there has been harassment that I should not be part of this case, from the police and the NPA. I came in to this case knowing ... the consequences," he added.
Meyiwa, who was goalkeeper for Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana, was gunned down in October 2014 at the house of the mother of his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo.
Khumalo and others who were in the Vosloorus home at the time said Meyiwa was killed in a botched robbery.
Teffo, however, has suggested otherwise. He had called for the charges against his clients to be withdrawn and insisted charges be laid against Khumalo, her mother, sister, her sister's boyfriend and two of Meyiwa's friends who were present at the time of the shooting.
Teffo's withdrawal from the case was accepted.
The case was provisionally postponed to August 2 for the accused to find new representatives.
Source - timeslive
