Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo brief the media on the possible extension of the commission of inquiry into state capture – Picture: Veli Nhlapo / Gallo images
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo CONDEMNS advocate Teffo’s arrest
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo opted not to comment on advocate Malesela Teffo’s arrest before as he hadn’t seen the footage
Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo brief the media on the possible extension of the commission of inquiry into state capture – Picture: Veli Nhlapo / Gallo images
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has become the latest to react to the dramatic arrest of advocate Malesela Teffo, the legal representative for four of the accused in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial – and he isn’t happy.
Teffo was arrested last week Thursday at the end of trial proceedings. His dramatic arrest was something out of a telenovela, prompting widespread outrage against the South African Police Service (SAPS) who were accused of trying to humiliate him.
Zondo was asked for comment on the matter from SABC News on the same day, but he opted not to as he hadn’t seen footage of the arrest. Having now watched the clips of the arrest, Zondo was able to express a more informed opinion on Tuesday.
ZONDO: TEFFO’S ARREST ‘AN ASSAULT ON THE DIGNITY OF THE COURT’
In a statement, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo criticised the manner in which the SAPS handcuffed advocate Malesela Teffo and reckons they could have simply done it outside of the courtroom.
“There was no justifiable reason why the police could not have waited for advocate Teffo to leave the courtroom and the court premises before they could arrest him. After all, as I understand the position, the warrant of arrest had been issued about two months earlier and, waiting until Teffo had left the court premises, would not have made any difference”
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo
Teffo had been arrested for allegedly assaulting a female police officer and was supposed to appear in the Hillbrow Magistrate’s Court several times in relation to the charges, but failed to.
Zondo has slammed SAPS for the arrest and said he hopes no similar incidents occur in future.
“The conduct of the SAPS in effecting the arrest inside the courtroom and the manner in which the arrest was effected on a legal practitioner and, therefore, on an officer of the court, was an assault on the dignity of the court and the judiciary.”
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo
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