By Marucs Moloko
Disbarred Advocate Malesela Teffo made a surprise appearance at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, asking to join proceedings as amicus curiae (a friend of the court) in the high-profile corruption case involving crime intelligence head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo and his co-accused.
Teffo, who was struck from the roll in 2023, told the court that the accused, charged with fraud and corruption over irregular appointments, were “very dangerous people” and linked their actions to his own past incarceration.
Khumalo and his co-accused were seeking to have their bail conditions amended.
Teffo was referring to the crime intelligence boss and other senior officials appearing in court facing charges over the alleged irregular appointment of Dineo Mokwele to a senior position within the division.
In June, Khumalo, alongside six colleagues, appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates Court to apply for bail concerning serious allegations related to the appointment within the police force.
In court, Teffo said he had a duty to protect the integrity of the justice system while addressing the bench.
“These individuals are not just accused, they are architects of institutional decay,” Teffo said in a video on social media.
He accused Khumalo of unlawful surveillance, saying: “since he arrived at crime intelligence, Khumalo has been doing so many unlawful things”.
Teffo claims his own communications in prison were monitored. “I don’t want Khumalo to go back… all of them. I don’t want them to go back to work,” as people will be harassed, he said.
Teffo’s attempts at intervention came a day after Magistrate Vusumuzi Mahlangu recused himself from the bail matter. He was accused of misconduct by KwaZulu-Natal police chief, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, at the Madlanga Commission.
Meanwhile, the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) said it has applied for a review of the magistrate’s recusal, with IDAC spokesperson Henry Mamothame quoted as saying “we did not view him as a biased officer”.
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