One of the police officers investigating the murder of Kaizer Chiefs defender Luke Fleurs says he cannot identify the two men who murdered and hijacked the soccer star’s red luxury VW Golf 8 GTI from the crime scene video footage he watched.
Captain Abe Sefularo Montwedi from the police’s Gauteng head office in Parktown, Johannesburg, said the video footage of Fleurs’ murder was not clearly visible, and he could not see the faces of the robbers.
Video footage of shooting
Montwedi revealed this information on Wednesday during the Johannesburg High Court trial, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, of the six men accused of the murder of Fleurs.
Montwedi was the state’s second witness in the trial.
Fleurs was shot and killed on the night of April 3 2024. The incident occurred at the Constantia service centre’s Shell petrol station in Florida, Roodepoort.
The accused – Ndumiso Ndura Moswane (26), Fernando Nando Sive (25), Nhlakanipho Dlamini (21), Franky Xaba (25), Maredi Mphahlele (36), and Thembinkosi Hlomikhawu (31) are charged with the murder. They face charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, (count one), murder (count two), unlawful possession of firearms (count three), and unlawful possession of ammunition (count four).
In addition to the first four counts, only Sive is facing a charge of unlawfully entering and remaining in South Africa. That is being an undocumented immigrant (count five). Sive is originally from Mozambique.
All pleaded not guilty
The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges they are facing.
During court proceedings on Wednesday, Montwedi testified in his evidence-in-chief. He told state prosecutor Adv Thamsanqa Mpekana that he worked on the Fleurs murder case from April 6 2024 until April 10 2024.
Montwedi said a few days after Fleurs’ murder, an informer told him that Moswane and Sive were possession of a red VW Golf in Slovoville, Soweto. He said this led him to arrest Moswane and Sive.
During cross-examination by Advocate Thapelo Monnagotla, who represents Sive, Montwedi was asked if he could identify the robbers from the Shell petrol station video footage showing Fleurs’ murder.
Montwedi said he cannot identify the robbers.
Advocate Pholile Khanyile, who represents Dlamini, Xaba and Hlomikhawu, cross-examined Montwedi. He asked when he viewed the footage if he is able to identify the robbers in it.
Montwedi said he watched the video footage of Fleurs’ murder on April 6, 2024. He said the video footage was not clearly visible, and he could not see the faces of the robbers.
Defence disagrees on video quality
Khanyile disagreed with Montwedi regarding the visibility of the video footage. He said the footage was clear.
After Montwedi’s evidence-in-chief and cross-examination, Judge Cassim Moosa postponed the matter. The case was postponed to next week Wednesday, September 10, for further state witness testimony.
The six suspects who were denied bail in May last year remain in police custody.
Meanwhile, on Monday the state’s first witness, Tshilidzi Ramali, a petrol attendant at the Shell petrol station, testified that he witnessed Fleurs’ murder.
However, Ramali said he does not know the two men who robbed Fleurs of his vehicle. And that he cannot identify the men who shot and killed Fleurs on the fateful night of April 3 2024.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is expected to call 40 state witnesses to testify during the trial.
Moswane is represented by attorney Senyane Mogase. And Mphahlele is represented by Advocate Sindisa Hlazo.
The accused’s legal bills are footed by Legal Aid SA.
More witnesses set to testify
According to the formal indictment, the state witnesses consist of police officers and residents of Slovoville in Soweto. Also employees of the petrol station where Fleurs was murdered, and Fleurs’ family members, among others.
After shooting Fleurs, the two armed men sped off in a white BMW.
The six accused were arrested in April last year in Slovoville. Fleurs’ luxury VW Golf 8 GTI was also recovered.
Police believe that the six accused are part of a syndicate responsible for car hijackings across Gauteng. The search for more suspects is ongoing.
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