ATHLONE - Anti-Gang Unit members charged with murder, assault, kidnapping and torture have had another charge added -- defeating the ends of justice.
The 11 officers deny beating and suffocating gang member Wade Price on 4 December.
But the state says it's possible that apartheid-era torture techniques, including drowning and smothering, were used on Price, leading to his death.
Some Manenberg residents held placards in a demonstration outside the Athlone magistrate’s court in support of Price.
They called for the suspects not to be released on bail.
But inside, the officers proceeded to apply for bail, saying they would be pleading not guilty to all the charges against them.
Their lawyers read out their statements explaining that they were in Manenberg to investigate a murder that took place outside the Athlone magistrate's court that day.
The prosecutor then read from the investigating officer's affidavit.
He also said preliminary post-mortem findings show that Price was found with bruises.
The prosecutor says it was concluded that the cause of death was unnatural.
- eNCA’s Ayesha Ismail reports.