Editorial: Teffo – unethical and contemptuous

Lawyer's tirade in poor taste [View this email in your browser]( FROM THE NEWSROOM July 14, 2022 [Mail & Guardian]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( Hi there, “The court was patient enough to allow Mr [[Dan] Teffo]( the latitude to showcase his conduct that clearly showed that he was disrespectful, unethical, unprofessional and contemptuous.” This was a statement made in writing in a Johannesburg high court in March by Judge Winston Msimeki, who ordered the removal of Teffo as the defence advocate for Siboniso Miya and Nkanyiso Mafunda. Teffo had in November 2021 begun representing Miya and Mafunda in a murder case, which also involves Czech fugitive and alleged underworld crime boss [Radovan Krejcir](. The case relates to the 2013 gunning-down of [Sam Issa]( the alleged drug kingpin who was killed when more than 30 rounds were fired at his car. Msimeki’s order might similarly have been written by Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela, who is presiding over the [Senzo Meyiwa trial]( where Teffo dramatically quit this week as the legal representative of the first four of the five accused in the footballer’s October 2014 murder. Maumela has exercised extreme patience since the Meyiwa trial started in April, despite being subjected to a barrage of abuse from Teffo, who has interrupted court proceedings with a slew of spurious applications that were either unfounded in law, or not filed properly in terms of court procedures. For example, on Tuesday, the trial was scheduled to hear an application that Teffo said he would launch to challenge the Pretoria high court’s jurisdiction to hear the case. He was given a strict deadline to file his heads of argument on 23 June, while the state, through advocate George Baloyi, as well as advocate Zandile Mshololo for the fifth accused, had to respond to Teffo’s papers by 30 June for the matter to be argued on 12 July. However, Teffo abandoned his jurisdiction challenge without informing Maumela or Mshololo, or providing reasons for ditching his application. Instead, without informing anyone, he decided to launch a quasi-application for Maumela to do something about the tough prison conditions accused number three, Mthobisi Ncube, is allegedly enduring at Kgosi Mampuru Prison in Tshwane. When Maumela — who had clearly reached the end of his tether, going as far as questioning Teffo’s legal qualification — ruled that the correctional services department was the correct place for him to air his client’s grievances, Teffo launched into a vitriolic tirade, accusing the judge of harassment. “The reason I can no longer be able to be in court and face you is that there are serious allegations here, where you are accused number one,” Teffo told Maumela, before storming out of court. This behaviour was, correctly, rebuked by advocate [Zola Majavu]( a renowned defence counsel who called Teffo’s behaviour “peculiar, unacceptable and inexcusable” in an interview with news channel eNCA. “To accuse a court, a sitting judge, of being accused number one in some undefined conspiracy theory is in poor taste,” Majavu contended. He could have said that Teffo’s behaviour throughout the trial had been in poor taste, including his petulant attempt to try and stop Mshololo from continuing her cross-examination of the state’s first witness, Sergeant Thabo Mosia. His former clients, if they have not realised it yet, have been done a huge favour through Teffo’s withdrawal. The accused would do well to retain a lawyer who will be more concerned about representing them, rather than playing for the cameras and wanting to trend, as Teffo’s theatrics suggest. Hopefully their next legal representatives, expected to be revealed on 2 August, will behave better. Until next Thursday, The M&G newsroom [Subscribe now]( Enjoy The Ampersand? Share it with your friends [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( [Share]( [Share]( Copyright © 2022 Mail & Guardian Media LTD, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive communications from the Mail & Guardian either at our website or by taking out a print subscription. Our mailing address is: Mail & Guardian Media LTD 25 Owl St BraamfonteinJohannesburg, Gauteng 2001 South Africa [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( here.