Lobby group AfriForum has described the latest developments in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial as disappointing.
The developments relate to the decision of the legal representative of the accused one to four to withdraw from the case.
BREAKING
Adv Malesela Teffo has just dropped a bombshell.
He has just told the court he is withdrawing from the #SenzoMeyiwa trial.
He will no longer represent accused 1-4.
He says he will return to his role as watching brief on behalf of the Meyiwa family.#SABCNEWS
— Chriselda ‘Babes We Ndaba’ Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) July 12, 2022
Advocate Malesela Teffo, who has cited harassment, says he will continue on a watching brief on behalf of Meyiwa’s brother, Sifiso.
Five men are on trial in the High Court in Pretoria for the gunning down of the Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper in 2014 at the home of his girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo.
The Head of AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, Advocate Gerrie Nel, says Advocate Teffo’s withdrawal is a setback for the case.
“As far as the withdrawal is concerned, it will affect the trial. The trial will now have to be postponed, they will have to appoint new counsel. With all the delays in the matter, as far as the evidence is concerned, we haven’t even finished with the first witness. It is another setback; I mean the family has been waiting so many years for justice and now they have to wait even longer.”
NPA shocked
The National Prosecuting Authority has also expressed shock at Advocate Teffo’s decision to withdraw from the case.
Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana says, “As the state, obviously we’re concerned by this delay and we’re shocked by the withdrawal of the advocate from this matter, but we hope that things will proceed smoothly. Unfortunately, we cannot comment on the allegations by the advocate however, as the NPA, we’ve been following the right procedures in court, we’ve been doing everything as per the procedure.”
Advocate Teffo withdraws from the trial
‘Allegations against Khumalo never going to be tested’
Meanwhile, Kelly Khumalo’s lawyer Magdalene Moonsamy says she believes the withdrawal of Advocate Teffo from representing accused one to four shows that Teffo’s clients have been lying.
Moonsamy says the allegations Advocate Teffo made about her client were never going to be tested in court.
“The country can now see that accused one to four have been lying to the country. He cannot substantiate the evidence and the claims he has made, even docket 375 has been regarded as not having merit. We’re tired of having heard all these allegations that were not going to be tested, which may well be one of the reasons why there has been a withdrawal, and we are relieved.”
In the video below, Legal Expert & Commentator Mpumelelo Zikalala of the Law firm Zikalala Attorneys speaks about the impact of Advocate Teffo’s withdrawal:
