The ”Jeppestown massacre” trial was on Thursday postponed at the Johannesburg High Court because some of the accused intended applying for the recusal of the judge.
Eleven of the 13 accused indicated that they intended lodging a formal application for the recusal of Judge Ratha Motkgoatleng on the basis of reasonable apprehension of bias.
The case was postponed to February 8.
Thirteen people are implicated in the robbery and the subsequent death of four police officers.
Eight people believed to have been part of the gang died in a shoot-out in Jeppestown, Johannesburg, on June 25 2006 after the robbery of a supermarket earlier in the day.
The accused have all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
They face charges of armed robbery, conspiracy to rob the supermarket, murder, attempted murder and possession of illegal firearms and ammunition.
A total of 15 out of the 99 state witnesses have testified in court. — Sapa