Three men arrested for allegedly murdering two eThekwini metro police officers have claimed they were assaulted by police.

The three - Musawenkosi Ndebele, 22, Bonginkosi Msomi, 20, and Thamsanqa Mabaso, 29 - made a brief appearance in the Verulam Magistrate's Court on Monday, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Kara said on Tuesday.

The fourth accused, Nkululeko Zuma, 19, was not in court because he was in hospital. News24 understands he was injured during his arrest last week.

The men have been moved to the Westville police station after their lawyer Mondli Mthethwa said they had been assaulted in the Durban North police cells.

They have been charged with two counts of murder and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Sergeant Zephania Dladla and Constable Nomasonto Mhlanga were killed while performing protection duties for councillor Moses Zulu at his residence in Bhambayi, near Phoenix.

Zulu told News24 that he had been assigned the protection detail following an assessment by eThekwini metro police and SAPS.

He said that service delivery protesters had been marching on homes of politicians in the province and his had been earmarked as needing protection.

During the memorial for the slain officers, it emerged that Dladla had been near retirement, while Mhlanga was set for a promotion as acting captain at King Shaka Airport in June.

Kara said the trio was remanded to custody and would appear again on June 3 for their bail application.