Former advocate for the defence in the Senzo Meyiwa trial, Malesela Teffo, has opened a case of defeating the ends of justice against police minister Bheki Cele, in which he claims Cele intended to compromise court proceedings in the trial.

Last week Teffo, who was struck off the roll of advocates by the Legal Practice Council in September, opened a case of defeating the ends of justice against Cele, minister of justice Ronald Lamola, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the criminal justice cluster,  among others, at the Sandton police station by way of affidavit.

In his allegations, Teffo claims Cele convened a meeting in Cape Town in November 2020 to ensure the docket — implicating Meyiwa’s former girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, and the six other people who were present in Khumalo’s mother’s home when Meyiwa was shot in 2014 — would never make it to court. 

Teffo said he could not go into every detail of his affidavit but said he had previously raised his concerns with the NPA. 

“Initially, I personally served this affidavit to the relevant judge at court. I also served it to the NPA. I was requesting something in that affidavit and I was not happy with the response of the NPA, I then opened a case last week. 

“We have seen some of the issues in relation to that meeting manifest themselves in the trial. That’s when I said there cannot be smoke without a fire.” 

He alleged he had witnesses to the meeting. “There are eyewitnesses to that meeting and they need to be protected. As a lawyer I wouldn’t go to the extent of filing an affidavit under oath, otherwise I would be risking my career,” he said. 

Cele’s spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said the minister was unaware of the case and had only learnt of it through the media. “The minister has not been informed of any further information around the case itself,” she said.

Police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe confirmed a case of defeating the ends of justice was opened against the police minister and others at Sandton police station by Teffo regarding the Senzo Meyiwa case and that the docket would be transferred to Cape Town.

“Though we are aware of a case that has been opened, the allegations referred to are baseless and unfounded,” said Mathe.

“To this effect, the matters related to the crime scene are being ventilated in court, and as such we cannot discuss a matter that is on the court roll.

“This is a direct intention to tarnish the image of our senior managers and investigation team. This is also an attempt to create unnecessary confusion on a matter before court.”

The trial against the five men accused of Meyiwa’s murder will resume in May. 

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