1 week ago
The six men standing trial for the hijacking and murder of Kaizer Chiefs star Luke Fleurs will have to wait until next month to hear if their bid for bail is successful.
The 24-year-old footballer was gunned down in a hijacking incident in Johannesburg earlier this month.
Ndumiso Moswane, Fernando Sive, Nhlakanipo Dlamini, Franky Xaba, Maredi Mphahlele and Thembinkosi Hlomikhawu appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on Thursday in connection with the footballer’s death.
They face charges of murder, robbery under aggravating circumstances, possession of unlicensed firearm, possession of unlicensed ammunition and defeating the ends of justice.
The suspects said they could afford R 1 000 bail if granted, and signalled their intentions to plead not guilty to the charges.
Watch the accused appearing in court:
The six men accused of killing Kaizer Chiefs defender Luke Fleurs appearing before the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court this afternoon.
This after their murder and robbery case which was scheduled to take place in the morning was delayed. PM#KayaNews #LukeFleurs pic.twitter.com/n2ATu03tVM
They claimed the state’s case against them was weak and prosecutors would struggle to pin the hijacking and murder on them.
The matter was postponed until next Thursday, 2 May, to allow the state to verify information in the bail affidavits. They were remanded in custody.
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The matter was postponed last week to finalise legal representation for the six and for lawyers to familiarise themselves with the matter.
Luke Fleurs’ hijacking and murder
Police said Fleurs was confronted by two armed suspects while waiting for assistance at a petrol station in Honeydew on 3 April.
The star was shot once in the upper body before a suspect fled in his red VW Golf 8 GTI and others followed in a getaway car.
Fleurs was rushed to the nearest medical centre, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The car was later found but stripped for parts.
“When the vehicle was recovered on Monday, it was already stripped. Police believe that the suspects are part of a syndicate that is responsible for car hijackings in Gauteng, and the search for more suspects is continuing,“ Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said.
‘We had plans, but God had others’
Taking to social media after his death, Fleurs’ girlfriend Lailaa Craayenstein posted pictures of the couple together, along with the words: “We had plans, but God had others.”
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“You come to realise that some things you haven’t accepted yet because there’s a thin line between accepting something and suppressing it.
“A thin line between overcoming something and avoiding it. A small window between today and tomorrow. And an even smaller window between checking up on someone or just passing the thought and not doing it at all.
“I feel guilty, angry, frustrated, but most importantly, I feel powerless. There is nothing I can do besides figure out which side of the line is suppression or acceptance when it comes to the next step. I’m so sorry this world broke you.” the post read.
Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa and Cornelia Le Roux.
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