They are accused of kidnapping and killing six men whose bodies were found bound in an open field in December 2014.
This is the umpteenth time they are appearing for a bail application after several delays since their first court appearance in December last year.
The courtroom at Blue Downs Magistrates Court was packed with relatives and friends of both the victims and the accused.
Before proceedings officially started, magistrate Gerald Hattingh had to clarify the legal representation for each of the 17 accused.
