A Shell fuel station employee who witnessed the murder of Kaizer Chiefs defender Luke Fleurs says he does not know the two men who hijacked the soccer star of his red, luxury VW Golf 8 GTI vehicle.
Tshilidzi Ramali said he cannot identify the men who shot and killed Fleurs on the fateful night of April 3, 2024.
Ramali revealed this information on Monday during the High Court trial of the six men accused of the murder of Fleurs. The Johannesburg High Court trial is sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.
Ramali was the state’s first witness in the trial.
The accused—Ndumiso Ndura Moswane (26), Fernando Nando Sive (25), Nhlakanipho Dlamini (21), Franky Xaba (25), Maredi Mphahlele (36), and Thembinkosi Hlomikhawu (31) — are facing 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 the Republic of South Africa, i.e., being an undocumented immigrant (count five).
The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges they are facing.
During court proceedings on Monday, Ramali said he works as a petrol attendant at the Shell petrol station located at the Constantia service centre in Florida, Roodepoort, where Fleurs was shot and killed.
He said on the night Fleurs was killed, on April 3, 2024, he was on duty from 8am until 8pm.
He stated that at approximately 7.30 PM that evening, a white BMW 1 Series entered the petrol station. He said afterwards Fleurs’ VW Golf drove into the petrol station.
Ramali said the white BMW moved and stopped behind Fleurs’ vehicle.
He said two young men alighted from Fleurs’ vehicle.
Failure to identify the robbers
Ramali then said two men carrying guns and covering their faces with balaclavas alighted from the white BMW and went to Fleur’s vehicle.
He said they pushed Fleurs out of the vehicle.
Ramali said as the armed men were attempting to drive away, Fleurs ran back to his car.
“One of the criminals said to the owner [Fleurs], ‘hey boy, hamba’.”
Ramali said as the armed men were attempting again to drive away with Fleurs’ car, he ran to his car and grabbed the steering wheel to prevent the robbers from driving away.
“One of the robbers shot the deceased [Fleurs],” said Ramali.
He said Fleurs asked the petrol attendants for assistance after he was shot. Ramali said at that stage the VW Golf and BMW were driven away by the hijackers.
State prosecutor Adv PT Mpekana asked Ramali if he knows the robbers and if he can identify them.
Ramali said he does not know the robbers, and he cannot identify them. The accused’s lawyers had no questions for Ramali during cross-examination.
Mpekana asked Judge Cassim Moosa to postpone the matter to Tuesday for the state to call its second witness.
The six suspects were denied bail in May last year, and they remain in police custody.
40 witnesses lined up
The National Prosecuting Authority is expected to call 40 state witnesses to testify during the trial.
The trial is expected to run from September 1 to 5, and again from September 10 to 12, at the Johannesburg High Court, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.
The six accused were arrested in April last year in Slovoville, and Fleurs’ luxury VW Golf 8 GTI was also recovered in April last year.
Police believe that the six accused are part of a syndicate responsible for car hijackings across Gauteng. The search for more suspects is ongoing.
Police are still searching for the gun used to kill Fleurs and the white BMW vehicle.
In the indictment, the state says Fleurs’ cause of death was a gunshot wound through the chest. The state also alleges that the accused committed the crimes in execution of a common purpose.
