The trial of six men accused of the hijacking and murder of Kaizer Chiefs defender Luke Fleurs is set to begin on July 21 at the high court sitting in Palm Ridge magistrate’s court.
The accused – Ndumiso Ndura Moswane (26), Fernando Nando Sive (25), Nhlakanipho Dlamini (21), Franky Xaba (25), Maredi Mphahlele (36), and Thembinkosi Hlomikhawu (31), made a brief appearance on Friday at the Johannesburg High Court.
The matter was previously transferred from the Roodepoort magistrate’s court to the Johannesburg High Court for pre-trial proceedings.
During the court proceedings on Friday, state prosecutor PT Mpekana told acting judge Allen that the trial will commence on July 21.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is expected to call 40 state witnesses to testify.
According to the formal indictment, the state witnesses consist of police officers, residents of Slovoville in Soweto, employees of the petrol station where Fleurs was murdered, and Fleurs’ family members, among others.
Killed at a Shell petrol station
According to the indictment, Moswane, Sive, Dlamini, Xaba, Mphahlele, and Hlomikhawu will be facing charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, murder, unlawful possession of firearms, and unlawful possession of ammunition.
On April 3, 2024, two armed men shot and killed Fleurs during a hijacking. The incident took place at the Constantia service centre’s Shell petrol station in Florida, Roodepoort.
After shooting Fleurs, the two armed men sped off in a white BMW vehicle.
The six accused were arrested in April in Slovoville, and Fleurs’ luxury VW Golf 8 GTI was also recovered in April.
Police believe that the accused are part of a syndicate responsible for car hijackings across Gauteng. The search for more suspects is ongoing.
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.
Suspects cannot be linked to crimes
During the suspects’ bail application in May 2024, the court heard evidence from the investigating officer, detective sergeant Nare Benedict Moloto, who said the police did not have any evidence that placed the suspects at the scene where Fleurs was killed.
Moloto said the police cannot link the suspects to the murder and hijacking of Fleurs, noting that he cannot convince the court that they planned the murder and hijacking.
Moloto added that police obtained statements from the suspects, and they admitted to being in possession of Fleurs’ vehicle, which they planned to strip and sell its parts.
According to Moloto, the suspects claimed that they saw Fleurs’ car parked in front of someone’s yard for days when they decided to steal it.
The car keys were found in possession of the suspects, according to Moloto. The suspects, however, denied that they killed Fleurs or stole his vehicle.
They informed the court that they could not be connected to the crimes they are accused of because the state’s case was weak.
