Court Denies Bail for Anti-Gang Unit Members: EFF Calls For Their Release
- Ten Anti-Gang Unit officers were denied bail, while one was granted bail on medical grounds over the death of Wade Price
- The EFF and SAPU criticised the ruling, citing safety risks and questioning the court’s decision
- The case comes as gang violence continues to escalate in the Western Cape
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Ten officers from the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) have been denied bail, while one was granted bail on medical grounds at the Athlone Magistrates’ Court on 23 December 2025.
The eleven officers face charges of murder, assault, kidnapping, torture, and defeating the ends of justice in connection with the death of alleged Manenberg gang member Wade Price.
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The court denied bail for the AGU officers
According to eNCA, bail for ten of the officers was denied after the matter was classified as a Schedule 6 application, placing the onus on the accused to convince the court that their release was justified. The State alleges that the officers were responsible for Price’s death on 4 December 2025 and further claim that they assaulted three other suspected gang members during the same incident.
The accused have been in custody at the Bellville Police Station since their arrest. Following the bail ruling, nine male officers were remanded to Brandvlei Prison, while a female officer was transferred to Worcester Prison. All eleven accused are expected to return to court on 29 January 2026.
EFF calls for release of AGU members
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has spoken out against the incarceration of the AGU members. In a statement, the party said it joins concerned citizens and community activists in calling for their immediate release.
The EFF argued that the officers are being abandoned by the very system they served and warned that their incarceration places their lives at risk, given their role in arresting violent criminals. The party claimed that some of the accused have received explicit death threats from inmates at Pollsmoor Prison.
“The accused have received explicit death threats from inmates at Pollsmoor Prison, some of whom were previously arrested by these officers. One officer reported being told by an inmate, ‘Ons wag vir jou by Pollsmoor’ (We are waiting for you at Pollsmoor),” the EFF said.
The party further stated that the Anti-Gang Unit has been under-resourced and poorly capacitated since its establishment in 2018, operating within what it described as a “broken system” that failed to protect even high-profile investigators such as the late Charl Kinnear. The EFF argued that it is therefore unfair to penalise the officers for incidents that occurred under strained organisational conditions
SAPU expresses disappointment over bail decision
The South African Policing Union (SAPU) has also expressed disappointment at the court’s decision. In a statement, the union said its concerns stem from the fact that the accused are not flight risks, are employed by the state, and, as officers of the law, are unlikely to interfere with witnesses.
SAPU said it believes the court did not act justly and is exploring legal avenues to challenge the bail ruling. The union also extended its sympathies to the families of the officers, noting that they will spend the Christmas period in prison instead of with their loved ones.
“SAPU also urges society at large not to judge the members based on the allegations. We understand how difficult it is for police officers to deal with criminal elements and instead call for the law to be allowed to take its course,” the union added.
Ongoing gang violence in the Western Cape
Previously, Briefly News reported that Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis raised concerns about crime statistics in the province, particularly the persistent levels of violent crime and gang-related activity. Data showed that Cape Town led nationally, with four of the five police stations recording the highest number of contact crimes located in the city.
Hill-Lewis said that, according to the latest statistics, the Western Cape recorded 282 gang-related murders between April and June 2025. He added that the situation has not improved, citing an incident in October 2025 in which 22 people were killed in one weekend alone.
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In related developments, Briefly News also reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected calls to declare a state of disaster in the Western Cape due to escalating gang violence. The president said government is implementing an anti-gang strategy and that the national security team should be given time to execute its plan.
The Western Cape has been plagued by near-daily fatal shootings, with reports indicating that approximately 500 people were killed in October and November alone, including children. Ramaphosa maintained that existing interventions must be allowed to take effect.
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Source: Briefly News
