Embattled and disbarred advocate Malesela Teffo says he deserves to testify before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, claiming he holds “hardcore evidence” implicating senior judges in corruption and misconduct.
“I am not pleading with the Madlanga Commission to call me, and I don’t need special treatment. But I have a desire to tell the commission. Even Madlanga knows very well that I’ve been engaging with him, even before President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed this so-called commission,” Teffo said in an interview with SAFM.
He dismissed claims that he was lobbying to be called as a witness, insisting his appearance before the commission is warranted.
“Those narratives that I’m pleading with the commission before it wraps up – I’m not pleading anything. I deserve to be there. And if you want to call it ‘spilling the beans’, let it be.”
Teffo claims he has a duty to protect the country and that his evidence is critical to exposing alleged criminality and political interference within the criminal justice system.
“Whatever has been happening in the judiciary is wrong, because the judiciary is rotten to the core,” he said.
The controversial disbarred advocate insists he has concrete evidence implicating magistrates and judges in wrongdoing.
“I have hardcore evidence against certain judges who shouldn’t be there – they should be impeached.”
He also questioned the legitimacy of his disbarment, claiming misinformation has been spread about his professional affiliations.
“For your information, at the time (of the ruling), I didn’t even belong to any traditional bar. So I’m surprised when people say I’m disbarred,” Teffo said.
“I’ve been on the sidebar. I belonged to the National Bar Council of South Africa (NBCSA). Its headquarters are in Umhlanga, Durban. I was part of the provincial chaplain’s housing. So I never belonged to the Johannesburg Bar or any of the traditional bars.”
Teffo also disputed the High Court’s 2023 judgment that found him unfit to practise as an advocate, calling it a “fraudulent judgment”.
“They used it to remove my name from the National Gazette,” he claimed.
Responding to questions about whether his claims of police corruption and infiltration by criminal syndicates have been corroborated by other testimonies, Teffo said the commission itself was compromised from the outset.
“President Ramaphosa himself was not the right person to appoint the commission, given the series of allegations against him. Along the way, he’s going to get entangled in all of this. How will he implement the recommendations of the commission when he himself is untruth number one? Him and the ANC – they are the untruths,” he claimed.
Despite this, Teffo expressed confidence in the chairperson.
“I believe that Justice Madlanga is going to be fair – I don’t doubt him. He’s a man of credibility, and I believe he’ll do the right thing.”
The Madlanga Commission, chaired by Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, is probing allegations of corruption, political interference, and the shielding of criminal networks within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The inquiry was sparked by explosive testimony from KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi, the first witness before the commission, raised serious concerns about the disbandment of the elite Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), suggesting it was a politically motivated move to protect powerful individuals.
He also accused suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of being “fully involved in the syndicate” behind various crimes and alleged that Mchunu actively sabotaged efforts to combat political killings in the province.
News previously reported that 13 people, including Ramaphosa, could be called to testify before Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating Mkhwanazi’s allegations of corruption and drug cartel involvement within SAPS.
The committee will begin oral hearings in October, with Mkhwanazi again expected to be the first witness.
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has also testified before the Madlanga Commission, referring to Ramaphosa’s role in the disbandment of the PKTT.
Ad hoc committee member David Skosana reportedly confirmed that Ramaphosa is on the list of those who may be called to testify.
Also expected to appear are suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, and former national police commissioner Khehla Sitole.
