The trial of the five men accused of killing Bafana star Senzo Meyiwa has had yet another dramatic twist, with Adv Malesela Teffo withdrawing as counsel for accused one to four after a torrid time in the Pretoria High Court.

On Tuesday, the court first heard that Teffo had abandoned his application, which challenged the jurisdiction of the Pretoria High Court to hear the Meyiwa matter. Instead of the court receiving head of arguments in this matter, the state revealed that Teffo had opted to make representation to the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) head, Shamila Batohi, to have charges against his clients withdrawn.

He then made a request to the court for a letter written by accused 3, Mthobisi Mncube, to be read in court. In the letter, Mncube is complaining about the conditions of his solitary confinement at the Kgosi Mampuru II Prison where he is being held.

He complained about the amount of time he got for physical activity, food quality, inability to call his family and, said he had no access to books or newspapers.

Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela dismissed the request for intervention as he felt it did not meet the expectations that were created that Mncube’s life was even under threat.

It was just after Maumela made that ruling that Teffo broke the news of his withdrawal, citing harassment without substantiating it.

“As counsel for accused number one to four, I hereby inform the honourable court that I am withdrawing as counsel. I will no longer be able to proceed in this court based on the harassment that I have faced from the state and from the court. The accused have been consulted and it has been agreed upon that based on what is happening to me, I should not proceed.

“I am a human being. I have emotions and feelings. I deserve and I demand respect. If I respect you, I expect respect from you.

“There has been harassment that I should not be part of this case from the police and the NPA. I came to this case knowing what would be the consequences. On 28 April, when I was arrested before this court, that was the plan,” he said.

Teffo claimed that the plan to get him off the case was hatched in the president’s office. However, when he was asked to deliberate on this outside court, he declined. He said the plan was hatched to get the accused in the matter to take responsibility for Meyiwa’s murder.

Teffo was watching a brief in the Meyiwa matter on behalf of the deceased’s brother Sifiso Meyiwa when he was approached by the families of the four accused. Teffo said he will return to his position as watching brief for the Meyiwa family.

He was then excused.

Journalists dashed out to speak to him outside where he explained that quitting the case “has always been there”.

“I cannot afford to be an advocate in a case where people have been charged with a serious case and at the same time I am a criminal. I am a problem. I am disturbing their plan that they have hatched about these guys.

“I’m now going to face eight charges at a regional court in Johannesburg, which were trumped-up by the office of the DPP,” he said.

Teffo claimed he was even promised money to drop this case, but failed to say how much and who made the offer when asked.

He promised to hold a media briefing in which he will give more details about the reasons for his withdrawal.

The case has been postponed to August 2 to allow the men who were represented by Teffo to find new counsel.