Gauteng police chief sets up crack team to probe Luke Fleurs murder

SPORT

A team of seasoned detectives has been established to search for the killers of Kaizer Chiefs defender Luke Fleurs.

The 24-year-old was gunned down on Wednesday evening while waiting to be attended to at a petrol station at the corner of 14th Avenue and Hendrik Potgieter Avenue in Roodepoort, on the West Rand.

While Chiefs were set to visit the Fleurs family on Thursday morning, Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo told City Press that provincial SA Police Service commissioner, Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni, had appointed a team of detectives to investigate and search for the suspected killers.

Chiefs spokesperson Vima Maphosa said: 

In a statement to City Press, Masondo said Fleurs was driving a red VW Golf 8 GTI when he stopped at the petrol station and was confronted by two armed thugs.

“While waiting to be served by the petrol attendant, he [Fleurs] was confronted by two armed males who came driving a white BMW 1 Series,” wrote Masondo.

The suspects dragged Fleurs out of the car at gunpoint and shot him once in the upper body. One of the suspects fled the scene in the player's car, followed by the accomplice in the BMW.

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Fleurs was taken to the nearest hospital, where he was declared dead after arrival.

Masondo said: 

The tragic story hit the international headlines of leading UK newspapers The Sun and the Mirror. 

All about Fleurs

Fleurs was born on 3 March 2000 in Mitchells Plain in Cape Town. He came through the ranks at the Ubuntu Cape Town Academy, which he joined aged 13, before he graduated to the club's senior team four years later.

It was at the now-defunct NFD side, Ubuntu Cape Town, where SuperSport United signed him in May 2018. He was already playing for the SA Under-17, Amajita, long before his move to the PSL premier division.

Fleurs was touted as one of the most promising talents in local football since he came to prominence in the elite league with SuperSport six seasons ago. He underlined his potential when he was named the 2021/22 PSL young player of the season.

During that season, he made 19 appearances for SuperSport, where he featured for 90 minutes in all but one of the matches. Fleurs represented South Africa at Under-17 and Under-23 levels, including an appearance at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics in Japan in 2021.

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Sadly, Fleurs passed away before making his debut for the Amakhosi. Chiefs interim head coach Cavin Johnson had assured the club’s followers that the defender was inching closer to making his long-awaited debut. 

Fleurs made the Chiefs matchday squad just once, as an unused substitute in a DStv Premiership game against Golden Arrows on 5 March, two days after his 24th birthday. 

Meanwhile, the PSL and Safa on Thursday expressed their shock and sadness at the tragic passing of the Chiefs defender. As per tradition, the PSL said in a statement on Thursday that a moment of silence will be observed at all the fixtures of PSL structures this weekend.

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Safa, through its president Danny Jordaan, noted that local football had been dealt a huge blow with the passing of Fleurs.

“We woke up to the heartbreaking and devastating news of the passing of this young life. This is such a huge loss for his family, friends, his team-mates and football in general. We are all grieving this young man’s passing. May his dear soul rest in peace,” said Safa in a statement.

City Press sends its condolences to Fleurs' family, Chiefs and the club's fans.