Advocate Malesela Teffo announced his return as a defence attorney in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial after a number of turns and turns, and South Africans on social media think the move is straight out of a “telenovela.”
Unexpectedly, the outspoken attorney for four of the five men accused of killing the soccer star in 2018 announced on Thursday, July 28, that he would take back his position.
Earlier this month, he shockingly withdrew from the case, citing claims of harassment from the court, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and the police.
Even stranger are Teffo’s outrageous claims that the judge presiding over the case, Tshifhiwa Maumela, “bewitched” him using a “sangoma” that he allegedly brought to court!
Advocate Teffo announced in a series of tweets that he would return to the Senzo Meyiwa trial. He added that he was “prepared” for the case’s “risks.”
I will continue to represent Accused 1 through 4 and will be in court on August 2, 2022,” he tweeted.
The institutionalised corruption within the SAPS and the NPA must be addressed. Even if it’s risky, I’m ready to handle it.
Then Teffo produced a formal document in which he claimed that the judge had bewitched him with a sangoma who was “in court” and had also used muthi on him.
“I started to have the nightmares after Judge Maumela brought his sangoma to court, and his ill-treatment against me increased more than ever before,” he wrote in his sworn statement.
“I was reliably informed that the involvement of the sangoma in this matter was to cause me to collapse inside the court.
This is the witchcraft aimed at destabilising the defence for accused 1 to 4, and myself being the main target in this regard.”
Teffo also accused Minister of Police Bheki Cele, Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola and fellow defence advocate Zandile Mshololo of being involved.