Ex-Pirates star held for car theft

Former soccer star Steve Lekoelea was driving a stolen car. File picture: Etienne Rothbart.

Former soccer star Steve Lekoelea was driving a stolen car. File picture: Etienne Rothbart.

Published Nov 25, 2015

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Johannesburg - A former PSL and Bafana Bafana player has been arrested for being in possession of a stolen car, while a current player was hijacked at gunpoint.

The two incidents happened a day apart.

The former star, Steve Lekoelea, was driving in Orange Farm, south of Joburg, around 2pm on Tuesday when traffic officers nabbed him. He was alone in the car at time.

Allegations are that police found that the white hatchback VW Polo had a fake licence plate and a fake licence disc.

Police spokesman Captain Johannes Motsiri confirmed that the former player was arrested by the metro police and was being detained at Orange Farm police station.

“He has been charged with fraud and possession of a suspected stolen vehicle,” Motsiri said, adding that the fraud case was with regard to the licence disc found on the car. The Star understands that the vehicle was reported stolen on November 2 last year. It is registered under the name of a 28-year-old man from Bloemfontein.

It is believed that at the time of the arrest, the owner was visiting in Randburg when his vehicle was stolen. The car had Free State number plates at the time of the theft.

But when police arrested Lekoelea on Tuesday, they found that the car had now been fitted with Gauteng number plates.

Motsiri said he did not know when Lekoelea would appear in court.

Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs player Eric Mathoho was hijacked on Monday just before 10pm while visiting family in Lotus Gardens, Tshwane.

The 25-year-old defender had just got into his Range Rover and was about to drive off when armed men approached him.

Police spokesman Captain Thomas Mufamadi said Mathoho told the police that one of the three men, wearing a Real Madrid T-shirt, produced a gun, cocked it and forced his way into the vehicle and into the driver’s seat.

“He said the man ordered him out of the car and then pushed him out. He then forced him to lie down and took his cellphone,” Mufamadi added.

The hijackers drove away but the vehicle was later found abandoned not far from where Mathoho was hijacked.

Police are investigating, but no one has been arrested.

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The Star

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