Luke Fleur's father has paid a moving tribute to the late Kaizer Chiefs player who was shot dead in a botched hijacking at Honeydew in Johannesburg last week. The 24-year-old was remembered at a memorial service at Johannesburg's FNB Stadium on Thursday 11 April.
Six suspects made their first appearance in Roodepoort Magistrates Court on Friday on charges of murder and theft. His car, a VW Golf 8GTI, has since been recovered.
Luke will be buried in Cape Town on Saturday, April 20th.
In memory of Luke Fleur: A touching tribute led by his father
Luke Fleur Theodore's father reflected on the popular soccer star to the crowd at FNB Stadium.
“I want to dance like Luke. He loved dancing,” she joked after a video of her son showing off his moves went viral.
Describing him as a “special boy”, he continued: “He was an extraordinary person no matter where he played. He wanted to see his team succeed, even on the national stage.
Theodore claims he first noticed Luke's talent when he was three years old, saying: “He wasn't afraid to fight against guys twice his size and age. From that day on, I loved him. I never stopped pushing.”
“He gave something special to the world. He was an angel sent from heaven.”
@futbol_army Luke Fleur, rest in peace 🕊🕊 #SAMA28 #futbol_army #africanfootball #riplukefleurs #lukefleurs #kaizerchiefs #kaizerchiefsfans #amakhosi4life #Khosified #fyp #trending #footballtiktok ♬ Original song – futbol_army
The memorial service comes shortly after Kaizer Chiefs announced that Luke Fleur's number 26 will be retired.
Athletic Director Kaiser Motown Jr. said in a statement: “That jersey will be displayed in the changing room and placed at the beginning of the technical center. His chair will always remain empty,” he continued.
“We will continue to do many other things to honor Luke. It's just the first step.”
suspect appears in court
Meanwhile, six suspects appeared in Roodeport Magistrates' Court on charges of the murder and hijacking of Luke Fleur.
by SABC, The suspects, aged between 26 and 37, were found in Soweto in possession of Luke's stripped car, car keys and mobile phone.
Fleur's family has thanked police for their quick action, as has his club Kaizer Chiefs.
Motaun told the broadcaster: To be fair, as we've seen in previous incidents, people lost their lives and disappeared into the darkness. No one knows what's going on.
“As far as we know, there are countless cases where the perpetrators are only caught years later, so I think we owe a lot to the authorities. It really showed that there is no hiding and that you can be found anywhere.
