South Africa’s police minister Bheli Cele has denied claims he’s responsible for the arrest of Malesela Teffo, the lawyer representing four of the five accused in the murder of the late soccer star Senzo Meyiwa.
Teffo was arrested inside the Pretoria High Court yesterday, Thursday, April 28. At the time of his arrest, he had fingered the police minister as responsible, noting that Cele doesn’t want him on the Senzo Meyiwa case.
Reacting to the claim, the minister denied he ever ordered the lawyer’s arrest. According to him, he only k eq of the arrest after his spokesperson Lirandzu Themba briefed him about it.
He said he had since ordered an investigation and awaits the report.
Interestingly, the national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola said that he was made aware that a warrant of arrest was actually issued for Teffo.
While Bheki Cele denies ever ordering the arrest of the advocate, his compatriots would not be convinced. According to some South Africans, it’s only the police minister who could order the SAPS tactical response team (TRT) into the court while in session to arrest the lawyer. You can check out the clip of the arrest below.
#BREAKING Adv Teffo being arrested in the Pretoria high court. #SenzoMeyiwatrial#SenzoMeyiwapic.twitter.com/XJhkfrGhPB
— Kgomotso🌸 (@motso_modise) April 28, 2022
Critics of the lawyer’s arrest say its nothing short of intimidation.
