The presiding judge in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela, seemed to be losing his patience when disbarred advocate Malesela Teffo stood up during proceedings and insisted on addressing the court on Wednesday.
PRETORIA – The presiding judge in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela, seemed to be losing his patience when disbarred advocate Malesela Teffo stood up during proceedings and insisted on addressing the court on Wednesday.
Teffo said that contrary to Judge Maumela’s belief that he was in court on a watching brief, he had been assigned to represent Senzo Meyiwa’s brother, Sifiso, and Orlando Pirates Football Club.
“Your lordship, let me put it in rare context. I am not here to sit and watch. I have been given instructions, proper instructions by Sifiso Meyiwa, the brother of the deceased. I have been given instructions by Orlando Pirates.”
Judge Maulema interjected: “You are disturbing. You are disturbing court, please sit down or I will order that you be taken out. You are disturbing us.”
Teffo responded: “If you feel like that, your lordship, you can do that.”
He added that the parties he represented had an interest in finding justice for the slain Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goal-minder.
Teffo said he had a “great interest” in the next witness to testify.
Judge Maumela, seemingly exasperated, responded: “Mr Teffo, Mr Teffo, sit down and allow advocate (George) Baloyi to continue with what is of interest in this case, which is what I want to hear. There is a ruling for me to make and time is of essence. I am saying: ‘Sit down and allow advocate Baloyi.’
“This is an interruption and it is rude, if you ask me. It is a rude interruption which is unnecessary for our purposes. You are not the only watching brief that was spoken about in this case. There has never been a watching brief here who has interrupted proceedings. Watching briefs do not address court.”
Teffo said he was “not just a watching brief”.
“I have instructions. Proper instructions,” he retorted.
Jidge Maumela said that if Teffo addressed him again, “wasting time”, the court orderlies were to make sure he was taken out of the building.
On Wednesday, the court was hearing submissions about a witness who was in the house when the soccer star was killed. The witness has brought an application to stop the media from beaming the proceedings live.
Five men, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, Muzikawukhulelwa Sibiya, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa and Sifokuhle Ntuli, are facing charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and possession of an unlicensed firearm as well as possession of ammunition.
They have all pleaded not guilty.
Meyiwa was killed on October 26, 2014, while in the company of his girlfriend and the mother of his child, Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus.
In the house that day were Meyiwa, Kelly and her younger sister, Zandile, their mother Ntombi Khumalo (MaKhumalo), Longwe Twala, Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, Kelly’s then four-year-old son, Christian, and Thingo, her daughter with Meyiwa.
