“Adv [Malesela] Teffo, if you are not going to talk about the date, sit down.”

That is how Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela had to stamp his authority after several heated exchanges with Teffo, who is representing four of the five men accused of killing soccer star Senzo Meyiwa.

On Monday, the court was supposed to get feedback from Adv Zandile Mshololo on the second docket opened on the Meyiwa murder case which she received on June 8.

The docket indicates that singer Kelly Khumalo is the one who fired the shot that killed Meyiwa.

After Mshololo read the two letters from the director of public prosecutions Adv Andrew Chauke, Teffo came after the tea adjournment wanting to address the court.

Teffo took off on a lighter note as he thanked Maumela for recognising him but Maumela immediately became firm.

“You always sit behind that box and you go low. I always presume you are there until one day we were proceeding and you walked in. From the beginning of this trial you hide behind that box, I don’t know why you do that,” Maumela said, leaving the public gallery in stitches.

Teffo asked to make a submission in relation to the documents that Mshololo had read in court and Maumela said his timing was wrong as he was repeating what the court had already heard.

“You will be given an opportunity to address the court before the state responds. If I now jump without hearing fully what Adv Mshololo is saying, I can be confused as well,” Maumela said.

But Teffo did not heed the advice and argued that he should be heard first before Mshololo concludes her submissions.

“The problem I have is that when Adv Teffo thinks it is time for him to speak…it must happen. The other day I had to warn you when you were demanding that the court should go a particular direction.

“I’m saying now as the presiding officer in this case it is time to give Adv Mshololo the opportunity to proceed with what she started in your absence. She is not done,” Maumela said.

Even with this explanation, Teffo did not want to stop with his request and he argued that the documents before court were defective.

“If those documents are defective today on the 13th of June 2022, even on the December 31 2022, they will still be defective…She started a process last week, she (Mshololo) is busy with it,” Maumela said.

Teffo also raised an objection just as the court was accepting the two documents to the record.

This angered Maumela even more as Teffo’s instructing attorney Tshepo Thobane stood up to explain their position.

“You two, I don’t know, what you are testing in me… what manner of demeanour is this? You allow your friend to drag this court out of its course, only later you say you want to help,” Maumela raised his voice in agitation.

The trial continues.