They appeared before Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe for a pretrial conference.

A pretrial conference is aimed at resolving all issues that may delay the beginning of a high court trial, or cause complications during the trial.

Hlophe scheduled a second conference for August 24.

The 12 men variously face one charge of murder, three of attempted murder, three of kidnapping, two of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, common assault and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

On the murder charge, they are alleged to have killed Sidwell Makatesi Mkhwambe in February 2009, at the Bishop Lavis police station on the Cape Flats.

On the charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice, five of the accused are alleged to have falsely informed an inquest that Mkhwambe died after jumping from a moving vehicle and suffering an epileptic fit.

The charges all relate to an incident in January 2009, when shots were fired at a group of police officials out on an investigation in New Crossroads.

Two of the police officials in the group were wounded in the attack, as well as two arrested suspects, who had accompanied the police on the investigation.