'Five-minute gang' in court
2008-06-03 15:53
Pietermaritzburg - Alleged members of the notorious "five-minute burglary gang" showed dog bites and other injuries at their first appearance in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
They were arrested on Saturday after fleeing into dense bush when their get-away BMW X5 rammed a Chubb security guard's car.
The get-away car lost a wheel and the Chubb vehicle plunged down an embankment, injuring the driver Joshua Kunene, who was admitted to hospital.
The accused are Sibongiseni Zwane, 31, Mdeni Vilakazi, 25, Jabulani Hadebe, 35, and Ntokoza Majola, 32, all of the Durban area.
Majola was shot in the hand during the chase.
More charges possible
They are allegedly behind well-planned break-ins that have plagued Pietermaritzburg in the past weeks. The gang derived its name from the speed with which the members committed their crimes.
The Organised Crime Unit has also arrested a Durban lawyer alleged to be a member of the gang.
He is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.
The charge sheet alleges that the accused committed two burglaries and a malicious injury to property offence when the front door of a house was broken with a hammer.
The Organised Crime Unit is investigating whether other charges are to be linked to the gang.
Burglars' tools were found in the gang's car and appliances and jewellery worth R100 000 have been recovered.
Mdu Mvune, for the accused, claimed they had been assaulted and bitten by police dogs.
He asked Magistrate Paul van Dongen to order that their lawyers be notified whenever police wished to question the men.
Mvune also asked that his clients be examined by a district surgeon to see if they needed further treatment.
Van Dongen made these requests an order of court, and the matter was postponed to June 8.
An application for bail is to be heard on June 30.
- SAPA