Brits – Six men accused of killing two policemen in separate incidents in North West appeared briefly in the Brits Regional Court on Monday.
Thulani Mtshali, Mduduzi Gumede and Bhekizitha Madondo accused of killing Constable John Mokotedi, appeared for the first time in the regional court and their case was postponed to November 8, for Mtshali to apply for legal representation. He had been conducting his own defence in the district court.
The State alleges that they gunned down Constable Mokotedi, 36, at a shopping mall in Bapong south of Brits on November 4, last year.
They are facing charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and murder.
Mokotedi and his crew were on a routine patrol in the area when they came head-on with a gang of armed men, who had robbed a clothing shop at the mall.
The policemen were not aware of the robbery and the gunmen opened fire on them suspecting the police officers were after them.
Constable Mokotedi was shot once in the head and died on the spot. The other officer was not injured. He was attached to the Mooinooi police station.
Mtshali and Gumede are out on bail while Madondo is in custody.
In a separate matter, the case against Samuel Marothodi Maphanga, Ndoda Mathibefazi and Jonathan Seloane was postponed to November 10.
The three are accused of killing Warrant Officer Sipho Sithole in Letlhabile north of Brits on November 14.
They allegedly shot and wounded Sithole, 48, before they hijacked his car.
Sithole was in his car when he was approached by three men. They allegedly shot him in the chest and fled with his car. He was rushed to hospital where he later died. He was attached to the Assen police station outside Brits.
His car was found in Soshanguve north of Pretoria.
Warrant Officer Victor Ramorwesi arrested Maphanga on November 25, last year, after the Hawks went to his parents’ home in Soshanguve north of Pretoria, and his father, Steve Maphanga made an arrangement with the police that he would informed them when his son was at home, at the time Maphanga was at work.
Ramorwesi arrested Mathibefazi on January 31 in Soshanguve and Seloane was arrested on February 4, in Makapanstad.
African News Agency