Disbarred Attorney Malesela Teffo Stuns Court at Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala Trial

• Disbarred attorney Malesela Teffo appeared uninvited at 'Cat' Matlala's attempted murder trial at the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on 31 August 2026
• Teffo's address left Matlala, his wife, and co-accused visibly confused as he claimed their constitutional rights had been grossly violated
• The accused instructed their own lawyers to shut down Teffo's application, with counsel arguing he had no legal standing in court

JOHANNESBURG — Disbarred attorney Malesela Teffo caused a dramatic scene at the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on 31 August 2026 when he appeared uninvited at the attempted murder trial of Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala and his co-accused, leaving all five defendants visibly baffled.

In a video attorney Tina Hokwana posted on X, Teffo rose to address the presiding judge without prior arrangement, stating he wished to bring an application on behalf of the suspects. He argued the application was necessitated by serious allegations he had raised against the state, and told the court he believed the accused had suffered a gross violation of their constitutional rights.

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Matlala and co-accused left bewildered

The address appeared to catch Matlala and his co-accused entirely off guard. As Teffo spoke, Matlala turned to one of his co-accused and gestured in clear confusion. He then looked across to his wife in the dock before exchanging glances with the other accused, with some visibly suppressing laughter. The courtroom atmosphere shifted between bewilderment and amusement among those in the dock.

Watch Teffo address the court during the Matlala trial:

The confusion quickly gave way to objection. Each of the accused instructed their respective legal representatives to oppose Teffo's application, and counsel duly rose to block the address. Lawyers for the accused argued the application served no purpose and amounted to a waste of the court's time. Matlala's legal representative went further, pointing out that Teffo had been struck off the roll of attorneys and therefore held no legal standing before the court.

Watch the lawyers' object:

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South Africans following the case online had strong views on Teffo's courtroom appearance.

@galbertyn said:

"Why is he forcing himself in there? 🤣🤣🤣🤣"

@AmuFloyd wrote:

"Even Cat Matlala can see that Teffo is a madman 🤣🤣🤣"

@KhehlaNxumalo asked:

"So in court, anyone can just show up and be given an opportunity to address the court? Is there not some sort of pre agreement as to who is going to be appearing? I'm so confused."

@3onn18 questioned:

"Is this man normal upstairs?"

@ymg_22 commented:

"That application doesn't find any keg to stand, I might be wrong. It's dead from the onset illogical and no sense in it."

Terbogo Thobejane revisits attempted murder scene

In a related article, Briefly News reported on the ongoing trial of Vusimizi "Cat" Matlala, who faces multiple charges, including attempted murder, connected to a violent incident involving former Muvhango actress Tebogo Thobejane. Thobejane, reflecting on her survival, shared a poignant video of the bullet-ridden car she was in during the attack, emphasizing the profound impact the experience has had on her life.

Source: Briefly News