Rosettenville 10 court case postponed after defence lawyer fails to appear

The case of ten men arrested after a deadly shootout with police in Rosettenville in 2022 has been postponed to Tuesday — after their legal counsel failed to appear in court.

While the advocate representing some of the accused and the State prosecutor were present, the lead defence lawyer did not arrive, informing the court they had been double-booked on another matter.

The group, widely known as the Rosettenville 10, were arrested following a violent gun battle in February 2022 that left at least eight suspects dead and four police officers wounded.

The accused are: Menzi Shabalala (50), Hloniphani Dube (43), Alex Matshebele (43), Phendula Mvubu (47), Mike Ngwadi (50), Andrew Tshobolo (70), Khulekani Nkosi (39), Kitso Mnguni (47), Sihle Mazibuko (37), and Qaphela Ngubeni (36).

During their previous appearance in March, the court dismissed their Section 174 discharge application, ruling that the State had presented enough evidence for the trial to continue.

Their defence team’s absence on Monday drew sharp criticism from Judge Shanaaz Mia, who said she was not satisfied with the explanation provided.

Police say at least 20 members of the broader group of 25 suspects were Zimbabwean nationals, while one of the ten — a Botswana national — is believed to be the mastermind behind a string of cash-in-transit robberies.

The men were arrested after police received intelligence that the suspects were planning to hit a cash-in-transit vehicle transporting money from Mondeor to Krugersdorp.

Residents living near the Rosettenville house where eight suspects were killed say the house had long served as a criminal hideout, and claim police ignored earlier reports of suspicious

The Rosettenville 10 face a wide range of charges, including conspiracy to commit robbery with aggravating circumstances, murder, attempted murder, possession of explosives, and other related offences.

Written by: Lebohang Ndashe