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Cop demo at bloodbath hearing
27/07/2006 22:36 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The case against 15 of the 16 people arrested for last month's Jeppestown shooting siege was postponed to August 21 at the Roodepoort magistrate's court on Thursday.
The case was postponed for a bail application and for further investigations.
Eight other people were killed in the shoot-out with police on June 25.
About 50 people belonging to the SA Police Union (Sapu) picketed peacefully outside the court.
They wore T-shirts reading "No bail for cop killers" and "Killing a cop is treason".
Sapu's Johannesburg chairperson, Jabulani James Maswanganye, said: We are picketing in solidarity with the fallen heroes to put forward that we don't want those people (accused) to be given bail."
Prosecutor Mardie Human said the man who did not appear in court - referred to as accused No 12 - was still in hospital.
Four of the men in the dock on Thursday emerged from the holding cells limping.
One man was on crutches while another had his hand in a sling.
They stood silently in the dock looking straight ahead while magistrate Delize Smith postponed the case.
Remain at maximum security prison
She said the men would be held at a maximum security prison in Pretoria until their next appearance, and ordered that their names not be published.
Human said: "Your honour we request that names of the accused not be released because the investigation is still under way... It might jeopardise the investigations."
Picket organiser Phillip Radebe said the union called on the government to protect police.
"Fight fire with fire"
Radebe said: "The criminals are getting protection.
This is also a call to the government that we (police) need more protection than the criminals are getting at present."
He added that it was impossible for police to heed the call made by Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula after the Jeppestown massacre to "fight fire with fire".
He said this was due to certain laws, which restricted police in uniform from using their firearms.
"There are some police who have been arrested because they used their firearms. They did not even get bail yet," said Radebe.
"So how are we supposed to protect ourselves if the law still prohibits it?"
He added that the union would be present at all court hearings.
The policemen killed in Jeppestown were 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.
Van Heerden's inspector wife, Leoni, and a policeman were injured.
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