Senzo Meyiwa murder trial lawyer Malesela Teffo quits mid-trial

The advocate representing four of the five accused in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial on Tuesday announced that he was withdrawing from the case.

Malesela Teffo said he was quitting because of the harassment he claimed to have been subjected to by the judge, the police and the National Prosecuting Authority.

“Before I can even accept the case to represent accused one to four, there has been harassment that I should not be part of this case from the police and National Prosecuting Authority. I came to this case knowing what is going to be the consequences,” Teffo told the high court in Pretoria.

He said, however, he would be continuing with his watching brief for the Meyiwa family. 

Meyiwa, who was goalkeeper for Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana, was gunned down in October 2014 at the house of his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo's, mother. 

Kelly and others who were in the Vosloorus home at the time claimed that Meyiwa was killed in a botched robbery. 

Teffo, however, has suggested otherwise. He had called for the charges against his clients to be withdrawn and insisted that charges be laid against Khumalo, her mother, sister, her sister's boyfriend and two of Meyiwa's friends who were present at the time of the shooting.

TimesLIVE