6 arrested for the murder of Kaizer Chiefs player Luke Fleurs: Fantastic
Six men have been arrested over the murder of a South African footballer in a Johannesburg carjacking, police have announced.
Luke Fleurs, a 24-year-old defender with the Johannesburg club Kaizer Chiefs, was targeted by two men as he queued to refill his Volkswagen Golf at a petrol station last week.
They ordered him out of the vehicle at gunpoint and when he got out, one of them shot him in the upper body before they drove off in the car.
The suspects were arrested on Wednesday, a week after the killing, in Slovoville, Soweto. The footballer’s car was found on Monday, already stripped down.
Investigators believe the men arrested are part of a syndicate behind other carjackings in Gauteng province.
Carjackings, in which robbers steal occupied vehicles, often at gunpoint, are rife in South Africa, and frequently escalate into killings.
“Police have arrested six suspects for the alleged hijacking and murder,” police spokesman Mavela Masondo said on Wednesday.
Kaizer Chiefs are one of South Africa’s top teams, having won a record 53 domestic trophies including 13 league championships. Fleurs joined them last year, having previously played for SuperSport United.
The former under-23 international also represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Zizi Kodwa, the country’s sports minister, said he was “saddened that yet another life has been cut short due to violent crime”.http://www.oasisconnect.co.za http://www.impactconnecr.co.za
Fleurs was a promising youth athlete who represented South Africa at the Under-23 level and was part of the Tokyo Summer Olympics team in 2021.
He had yet to make his Chiefs debut after joining the Soweto giant as a free agent on a two-year deal in October, following his time at SuperSport United.
“The Matsatsantsa family would like to send its heartfelt condolences to the Fleur’s family, everyone at Kaizer Chiefs Football Club, and the football community at large. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” SuperSport said in a statement.
