NGCOBO, March (ANA) - Six men appeared in the Ngcobo Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, in connection with the shooting of five police officers.
Five of the men -- Lwandiso Phoswa, Zuko Makepula, Thulani Mrwetyana, Loyiso Buhlungu, and Mawande Jijingubo.
However, the State requested additional time to complete profiling the suspects.
Ephrahim Mancoba indicated that he would resume his bail application to bury his brothers. Three of his brothers, Thandazile, Xolisa and Philile were killed during a shootout with police.
The men are charged with conspiracy to commit robbery with aggravating circumstance along with Banele Mancoba, Siphenathi Mafikwana, Nyameko Mhleli Gemi, Anelani Nobethe, and Luxolo Sixoli.
The State said it was going to add a charge of robbery against the men.
Phoswa, Makepula and Mrwetyana were arrested on Monday last week in Dutywa while Buhlungu was arrested on the same day in Mthatha. They were arrested by the Task team which is investigating the Ngcobo police killings.
Sixolo and Gemi were arrested by the Task team in Butterworth on Friday while Nobethe was arrested in Cape Town. These arrests are in relation to a December 2017 robbery which occurred in Ngcobo.
It is alleged that all these suspects committed the crime while they were residing at Seven Angels Ministries.
Banele Mancoba, Mafikwana, Gemi, Nobethe and Sixoli already abandoned their bail application.
Ephraim Mancoba's bail application will be heard next Wednesday. The rest will appear in court on April 30.
They are accused of carrying out the attack on the Ngcobo police station where five police officers were killed. Off-duty soldier, Fred Mphandeni was shot and died in hospital, however, none of the suspects have been linked to his murder.
Bodies of two officers were found dumped along the road about four kilometres away from the police station and few meters away from the Mancoba home where most of the suspects were arrested.
Police raided Mancoba home which is also the gathering place for Seven Angels Church on February 23 and arrested 10 suspects, seven others died during the shoot-out with police and three were admitted to hospital.
They also recovered weapons that were stolen from the police station during the robbery. Suspects made off with 10 firearms. More than 100 people were rescued and evacuated to places of safety while some have since been linked with their families.
- African News Agency (ANA)
