Five of the 12 members from the notorious Angels Ministry Church in Ngcobo had admitted to being present during the robbery of diesel at a bus depot at the rural town in 2017.
This was revealed during the trial within a trial of the church members, among them self-styled leader and one of the so-called "seven angels", Banele Mancoba, and his younger brother, Ephraim, who are facing charges of attempted robbery, robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The revelation was made by Captain Phakamile Buduza, a member of a police task team set up to track those responsible for the robbery at the bus depot.
A security guard was also allegedly attacked and robbed of his firearm and cellphone during the incident, Buduza told the Ngcobo Regional Court on Monday.
But Banele Mancoba told the court that he did not believe his five co-accused had admitted to the robbery out of their own volition.
"Police were angry while questioning them because of the deaths of the police members," he said.
The Daily Dispatch has previously reported that five police members were gunned downed in Ngcobo during a brazen attack last year, which sent shockwaves across the country...