Christmas behind bars for ten AGU cops charged with murder

Ten of the 11 Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) officers charged with the murder of alleged Clever Kidz (CK) gangster Wade Price will spend Christmas behind bars after being denied bail on Tuesday. 

One of officers was granted R1 000 bail because of health reasons. 

His 10 colleagues will not spend Christmas in Pollsmoor, as they feared.  Nine are being sent to Brandvlei Correctional facility, while the female officer will be detained at Worcester Prison until their next court appearance on January 26. 

In their previous appearance at the Athlone Magistrate’s Court last Thursday, the cops claimed that bandiete (inmates) had threatened them after recognising them while in custody.

The cops, who may not be identified as per court ruling, are facing charges of kidnapping, torturing, assault and defeating the administration of justice as well as the murder of Price on 4 December following an interrogation of a shooting incident outside the same court the previous day.

Price and three friends were then taken to Manenberg SAPS where CCTV footage showed them entering the building with the accused.

Three were later released from the station, while Price was taken to a property in Vygekraal Road where the accused allegedly unlawfully and intentionally killed him by hitting him multiple times with unknown objects on his head and body, torturing the deceased and smothering/choking him to death.

Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping detailed court proceedings at Athlone Magistrate’s Court: “Only accused number 9 was granted R 1 000 bail due to health challenges. 

“Although the officers alleged that Price complained of ear pain and collapsed during interrogation, Ipid's investigation established that his cause of death was as a result of unnatural causes. 

“The nine officers will be detained at the Brandvlei Correctional facility while the female officer will be detained at Worcester Prison until their next court appearance on January 29, 2026.”

A community worker, who asked not to be named, told the Cape Argus' sister newspaper the Daily Voice, that they are very heartbroken and very upset that the cops were not granted bail: “They are being treated like low criminals. If a gangster is caught with a gun they don’t even see the inside of a cell or the court and this is someone who killed another person, innocent people.

“These are law abiding citizens, officers with families but a gangster has more rights in this country than the law abiding citizens and SAPS members. That is not on.”

Meanwhile, a Manenberg resident told the Cape Argus' sister newspaper the Daily Voice that they are pleased, but also not happy at the same time due to the court sending them to different prisons in different cities.

The resident said: “Why do our people, if they kill someone, where do they go they go straight to, Pollsmoor. Why do SAPS get such treatment and send them to Brandvlei and Worcester.

“This is a murder case and other things they did to Wade. I’m happy that they are not getting bail but why are other people being sent to Pollsmoor. If I had to kill someone now that’s straight to Pollsmoor.”

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Cape Argus