Bloodbath: 11 to appear

2006-06-27 10:20

Johannesburg - The 11 men arrested after a bloody shoot-out with police in Jeppestown on Sunday will appear in Roodepoort magistrate's court on Tuesday, Gauteng police said.

The men were initially scheduled to appear in the Roodepoort magistrate's court on Wednesday, but the date was changed around 09:00 on Tuesday, said police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht.

Inspectors Frederick "Frikkie" van Heerden, 32, Nzama Victor Mathye, 49, both of the West Rand Dog Unit; Sergeant Gert Schoeman, 30, of the West Rand Emergency Response Service; and Constable Peter Francois Seaward, 31, of the Johannesburg Dog Unit were killed in a shoot-out with the 11.

Another eight robbers also died in the gunfire that raked the house during the arrest.

The group had robbed a Pick 'n Pay in Honeydew, west of Johannesburg on Sunday and police were led to the house by a suspect arrested at the scene of the crime.

This person is also expected to appear in court.

Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht said there'd been no further arrests and police were in the process of profiling those involved.

"We are not going reveal anything more," she said.

- SAPA