The trial of the six men accused of the murder of Kaizer Chiefs player Luke Fleurs has faced multiple delays at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court following another appearance on October 22.

Fleurs (24), at the peak of his career, was fatally shot after a hijacking at a petrol station in Constantia Kloof on April 3, 2024.

• Read the initial article here: Breaking News: 6 arrested in Luke Fleurs shooting and hijacking

The six accused, Ndumiso Mswane (26), Fernando Sive (25), Nhlakanipho Dlamini (21), Franky Xaba (25), Maredi Mphahlele (36), and Thembinkosi Hlomikhawu, were arrested in Slovoville, Soweto, on April 10, 2024, after the Provincial Investigating Unit and police received information on the whereabouts of the hijacked vehicle of the deceased.

• Also read: Fleurs murder trial gets underway

According to the National Prosecuting Agency’s Regional spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, the trial was first scheduled to begin on October 8, but was postponed after the state informed the court that a key witness was unavailable to testify.

Mjonondwane further added that when the proceedings resumed on October 13, one of the accused, Xaba, alleged that he had been threatened into making a statement and that his legal rights were violated during interrogation.

“The claim prompted the court to initiate a trial within a trial to determine whether accused number 4, Xaba’s warning statement, could be admitted as evidence.”

• Also read: Luke Fleurs case postponed

Further complications arose on October 16, when Advocate Thapelo Monnakgotla, the lawyer representing accused number two Fernando Sive, told the court that his client had also been denied legal counsel upon arrest. The investigating officer denied both claims, insisting that all standard procedures had been followed.

“The repeated delays have frustrated both the Fleurs family, who have waited more than a year for justice. The state prosecution has indicated that it will call several key witnesses once procedural matters are resolved,” Mjonondwane said.

The trial is expected to resume on Friday, November 14, pending the court’s decision on the admissibility of the contested statements.