DELAYED JUSTICE – AS TENSIONS FLARE OUTSIDE COURT
CCN Reporting
Manenberg and the broader Cape Flats community watched with heavy hearts and rising frustration as the case against the 11 Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) members, accused in the brutal death of Wade Price, was postponed yet again.
The Athlone Magistrates’ Court appearance on 29 January 2026 ended with the matter rolled over to 5 March 2026 for further investigation. In the interim, the defence heads to the Western Cape High Court on Friday for a bail appeal hearing that could see some of these officers walk free while the truth about Price’s final hours remains locked away.
This isn’t just another postponement. It’s a stark reminder of how slowly the wheels of justice turn when the accused wear the same uniform meant to protect us. Wade Price, a Manenberg resident, was arrested in December 2025 and allegedly suffocated during what authorities call an “interrogation.” The charges against the AGU 11 read like a catalogue of horrors: murder, kidnapping, assault, torture, and defeating the ends of justice. Yet, here we are, months later, still waiting for DNA reports, full crime scene analysis, and closure, even as the post-mortem has confirmed unnatural causes.
Outside the courtroom, the divide was painfully visible. Law enforcement deployed crime scene tape to keep apart two groups: supporters of the accused officers, who argue the justice system is failing dedicated cops, and those standing with Price’s family, demanding accountability for what they see as state-sanctioned brutality. Clashes were reported, tensions boiled over, and the scene underscored a deeper fracture in our communities, where trust in the police has eroded to the point that even an elite unit like the AGU is now viewed by many as part of the problem rather than the solution.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila, confirmed the investigation remains ongoing, with key forensic pieces still outstanding. That’s cold comfort for a grieving family and a township tired of hearing “further investigation” as code for delay. Price was taken into custody, vanished from official records that first night, and emerged dead, with water in his lungs and marks suggesting foul play. The irony persists: officers accused of torture now appeal their own detention, claiming fears for their safety in custody, while the man they allegedly broke lies in the ground.
This case exposes the rot that festers when power goes unchecked. The AGU was created to combat gangs, yet allegations suggest some members crossed into the very darkness they were meant to fight. Postponing to March buys time for evidence, yes, but it also buys time for doubt to grow, for memories to fade, and for the powerful to regroup. The bail appeal this Friday will be telling: Will the High Court uphold the magistrate’s denial, or grant relief that many in Manenberg will see as another slap in the face?
Cape Flats residents aren’t asking for vengeance; they’re asking for truth. For answers about what really happened in that interrogation room. For a system that doesn’t protect its own at the expense of the vulnerable. Until then, every postponement feels like another layer of silence over a scream that refuses to be muffled.
Manenberg, hold the line. The fight for justice doesn’t end with a court date, it demands we keep watching, keep questioning, and keep refusing to let this fade into yesterday’s news.
#JusticeForWadePrice #AGU11 #CapeFlats #PoliceAccountability #ManenbergStrong #TheTruthWillOut
