Teffo back in spotlight after prison dancing video surfaces.

Department of Correctional Services (DCS) launched an urgent investigation at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility following a viral video showing disbarred advocate Malesela Teffo and another inmate dancing inside a cell.

Teffo was arrested in mid-September 2026 after arriving at the Legal Practice Council (LPC) offices in Tshwane.

In the video, Malesela appears to be dancing with another inmate, and the clip has sparked conversations about prison conditions, security and the circumstances surrounding his detention.

Teffo became widely known during the high-profile Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, where he represented four of the accused before withdrawing from the proceedings in July 2022.

In September 2022, the High Court in Pretoria ordered that he be struck off the roll of legal practitioners following findings of serious professional misconduct. The court cited issues including dishonourable conduct, misleading the court and misconduct involving clients.

The resurfaced clip has once again placed Teffo in the public spotlight, years after his involvement in the Meyiwa murder trial.

However, the circumstances surrounding the recording, including when and where it was filmed, have not been independently established.

DCS is probing how the electronic devices and contraband were smuggled into the facility, as well as any potential staff negligence or complicity.

According to DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo, the search uncovered a large cache of unauthorized items.

Among the items confiscated were five cellphones, three routers, one laptop, two bank cards, 11 chargers, three USB devices, 16 packets of illicit cigarettes, five balls of dagga, 194 Mandrax tablets, two hacksaw blades and various sharp objects.

“The extent and nature of the items recovered underscore the seriousness of the security breaches that the Department is determined to address, said Nxumalo.”

Offenders found in possession of contraband and those identified in the video will face internal disciplinary proceedings in accordance with the applicable prescripts.

The National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale has called on all management to maintain clean and secure facilities, free from contraband and activities that undermine the Department’s mandate.

Thobakgale reiterated that correctional facilities were not places where offenders can disregard established rules and security protocols with impunity.