Lawyers for convicted murderers, the so-called Waterkloof Four, have filed papers in the Pretoria High Court for an application for leave to appeal, the SABC reported on Wednesday.

Christoff Becker, Frikkie du Preez, Gert van Schalkwyk and Reinach Tiedt want to take their appeal to Bloemfontein's Supreme Court of Appeal after they lost their first appeal case last week.

Lawyers for the accused — who have been given a 12-year prison sentence — say the state has not proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.

The Waterkloof Four's lawyers also say the testimony of state witnesses was not credible and contained many contradictions.

No date for the application has been set yet.

The four men assaulted an unknown man and then assaulted and stabbed to death another man in Moreleta Park, in East Pretoria in December 2001.

Sapa