Cape Town – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has condemned what it called the “overzealousness of the South African police” after advocate Malesela Teffo who is representing four of the accused in the Senzo Meyiwa trial, was arrested on Thursday.
Teffo was arrested after proceedings of Meyiwa’s murder trial adjourned in the Pretoria High Court.
According to City Press, an investigating officer, who identified himself as Masungwini, told Teffo that he had obtained a warrant of arrest after he (Teffo) had failed to appear in court on January 22.
In a statement on Friday, the EFF said the “dramatic arrest” of Teffo was a “deliberate attempt” to humiliate him.
EFF Statement On The Dramatic Arrest Of Adv. Malesela Teffo In The Senzo Meyiwa Trial Court pic.twitter.com/qu7Aq7p3Gz
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) April 29, 2022
“It is more concerning that the warrant of arrest is reported to have been issued in January 2022, yet SAPS waited for such a sensitive moment to effect this arrest, casting doubt and aspersion on a case which has been dragging for more than seven years.
“All people are equal before the law and whoever breaks the law should be arrested. However, the constitution enjoins all of us to treat each other fairly with dignity and respect at all times, the police included.
“The conduct of the police is in contempt of court and a disregard of the long overdue justice to the family of the late Bafana Bafana Captain Senzo Meyiwa and all the accused.
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“The EFF calls upon the prosecution authority and justice ministry to investigate this contempt of high court by SAPS and to arrest those responsible … The use of the tactical response team to effect an arrest for contempt is not only excessive, but wasteful, especially considering the high rate of violent crime in South Africa,” said the EFF.
The red berets called on the Bar Council, the Judicial Service Commission and Legal Practice Council to condemn “this blatant act of disrespect of the judiciary in session, which was done under the disguise of a lawful arrest”.
Meyiwa was gunned down at the Vosloorus home of his pop-star girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, in the southeastern outskirts of Johannesburg during the evening of October 26, 2014.
The murder stunned the nation which is already numbed by its staggering murder rate.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
Additional reporting by AFP
