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Luke Fleurs murder: State to oppose suspects’ bail as case postponed
The accused have opted for legal aid and are intending to apply for bail.
Kaizer Chiefs defender Luke Fleurs. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Suspects linked to the murder of Kaizer Chiefs player Luke Fleurs will remain behind bars until they return to the dock next week.
The six men made their first appearance in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on Friday in connection with the footballer’s death.
This comes a day after Fleurs’s memorial service held at FNB Stadium.
The 24-year-old footballer was gunned down in a hijacking incident in Johannesburg last week.
Suspects seek legal aid
It was revealed by the state during court proceedings that the suspects have been charged with murder, robbery under aggravating circumstances, possession of unlicensed firearm, possession of unlicensed ammunition and defeating the ends of justice.
The six men – Ndumiso Moswane, Fernando Sive, Nhlakanipo Dlamini, Franky Xaba, Maredi Mphahlele and Thembinkosi Hlomikhawu – appeared in court without legal representation.
The accused, aged between 21 and 36, have opted for legal aid and are intending to apply for bail.
The state will oppose their release on bail.
“At this juncture, we still need to get the bail information, profile of the accused and the bail statements from the investigating officers,” state prosecutor Arnold Limekhaya told the court.
WATCH: Luke Fleurs’ father wants to go ‘face to face’ with son’s alleged killers
The magistrate adjourned the case until 19 April for further investigations and formal bail application. The suspects will remain in custody.
Speaking to the media following the postponement, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane refrained from commenting on whether the suspects had any previous convictions.
Mjonondwane highlighted the investigations were still ongoing, saying the case was still at its early stages.
“The appetite is there to oppose their release on bail,” she added.
The suspects were traced and arrested in Slovoville, Soweto on Wednesday. It is alleged that part of a syndicate behind car hijackings in Gauteng.
More arrests have not been ruled out.
Fleurs hijacking
According to the South African Police Service (Saps), Fleurs was ambushed while waiting for assistance at a petrol station on 14th Avenue and Hendrik Potgieter in Honeydew on 3 April.
The Chiefs defender was confronted by two armed suspects who arrived in a white BMW 1 Series.
The men pointed Fleurs with a firearm before shooting him once on the upper body outside of his red VW Golf 8 GTI.
After seizing the 24-year-old’s car, one suspect hastily fled the scene, with his accomplice in close pursuit.
Meanwhile, Fleurs was rushed to the nearest medical centre, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
READ MORE: ‘I hate this car’: Sister and girlfriend of Kaizer Chiefs footballer Luke Fleurs break silence
Fleurs began his career as a professional footballer by joining Ubuntu at the age of 12-year.
He became the first player from the well-regarded Cape Town academy to play in the first division of the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
The 24-year-old joined SuperSport United from Ubuntu in 2018, making his debut in November of the same year.
Fleurs played over 70 times for SuperSport before leaving as a free agent to sign a contract with Chiefs in October 2023.
He also represented South Africa at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Additional reporting by Jonty Mark
