Suspects in dock for Pretoria cop’s murder
Two suspects have appeared in court in connection with the death of a Pretoria police constable during a shoot-out earlier this week.
|||Pretoria – Two men accused of killing Pretoria police constable Max Lekalakala during a shoot-out between police and five suspected criminals in Gauteng in the early hours of Wednesday morning, appeared in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Lucky Strauss Madiba, 20, and Sipho Mpho Mohlala, 19, are facing several charges including murder, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, possession of stolen cellphones, robbery with aggravating circumstances, using a vehicle without the owner’s consent, kidnapping, and several of motor vehicle theft.
Magistrate Maryke de la Rey postponed the matter until March 11 for a formal bail application. State prosecutor Barbara Ndela indicated that the state would oppose bail for both accused.
Defence lawyer, advocate Steve Sekwele said that although a number of people and organisations would not want to see his clients released from police custody, the accused were entitled to bail and he was happy that they would be given a chance to apply for bail.
“In this case, there is a lot of attention from a number of institutions such as the Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation), POPCRU (Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union), the public and the state, nonetheless every person is entitled to bail and we have been given an opportunity to apply for bail. So far it is just like any other ordinary case to me. I don’t see any reason why the accused persons cannot be given a chance to apply for bail, hence the case has been postponed to next week,” said Sekwele.
POPCRU Gauteng deputy provincial chairperson, Naughty Magoai, said his union still maintained its position that police should respond to “fire with fire” and said the organisation regretted that they had lost a member.
“We are not going to allow our members to be attacked by criminals, our members must protect themselves with the firearms they got, and we are appealing to the justice department to assist us, not to give these two accused bail.”
Magoai also called for police killers to be given life imprisonment.
According to Hawks spokesperson, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, the Silverton Flying Squad members spotted a suspicious looking Toyota RunX along the N4/eMalahleni route just after the Diamond Hill Toll Plaza at around 2am on Wednesday and stopped it. When they approached the car, which had five occupants, they were greeted with a hail of bullets. Lekalakala, 32, was fatallay wounded.
Mulaudzi said the police had retaliated with fire, killing two suspects instantly, while another suspect was certified dead upon arrival at hospital. Madiba and Mohlala were arrested on the scene. Madiba was wounded in the exchange and was admitted to hospital under police guard.
Three unlicensed firearms with ammunition, seven cellphones and an iPad were found in the possession of the suspects. The Hawks were continuing with its investigation.
African News Agency
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