Official’s death ‘defies belief’

A picture of Luke Fairweather taken from Facebook.

A picture of Luke Fairweather taken from Facebook.

Published Jan 7, 2011

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News of cricket official Luke Fairweather’s fatal shooting has sent shock waves through the cricket community.

Fairweather, 49, an ex-Western Province cricketer from Mowbray, died in hospital two days ago.

A City of Cape Town traffic officer allegedly shot Fairweather during a scuffle over parking.

The 50-year-old traffic officer, who was arrested on a murder charge, sustained numerous injuries during the incident.

The Western Province Cricket Association’s (WPCA) chief executive officer, Andre Odendaal, said in memory of Fairweather flags were flown at half-mast at Newlands during yesterday’s final day of the third Test between South Africa and India.

Fairweather, an official of Alma Marist Cricket Club who managed a Western Province under-age team last month, had been a guest in the President’s Suite at Newlands on Wednesday before being shot.

“This news defies belief and the cricket fraternity is in deep shock,” WPCA president Mohamed Ebrahim said.

Yesterday, condolences were posted on Fairweather’s Facebook wall. “Luke, we will miss you, my friend, a legend at Rondebosch Boys High,” Johann Buitendag wrote.

Fairweather’s Facebook account said he was self-employed and dealt with the design and manufacture of wooden furniture.

In the section on political views, it said: “Ultra Rightwing Conservative”.

And under his “bio” it said: “Politically, offensively conservative and care more for animals than I do for the self-inflicted suffering of the indiscriminately fornicating black masses. I believe in the death penalty and a birth control pill that lasts for 10 years.”

His Facebook information said he was expelled from Rondebosch Boys’ High in 1978 and matriculated from Abbotts College.

Police spokesman for the Claremont cluster, Lyndon Sisam, said that, now that Fairweather had died, the traffic officer involved in the shooting faced a murder charge.

He said the incident happened at the corner of Campground and Mariendahl roads, an area which had been closed off to most vehicles.

“The traffic officer approached a motorist parking and told her she was not allowed to park there. They started arguing. The woman’s son (Fairweather) then got involved and also started arguing with the traffic officer.

“He started to push the traffic officer around and assaulted him. He smashed the traffic officer’s head into the parked vehicle. The traffic officer warned him to stop. In between the fighting (Fairweather) was shot at several times,” Sisam said.

He said Fairweather had a wound to his stomach, and both he and the injured traffic officer were rushed to hospital.

Fairweather’s mother had apparently been picking him and a friend up at the cricket ground.

On Fairweather’s Facebook wall, Chery Koekemoer said Fairweather had been at the cricket with a friend who had difficulty walking.

“His mother collected them after the game and parked in the disabled parking. The traffic officer issued her with a fine. Luke objected, and an altercation ensued. He was shot by the officer in the stomach and bled to death.”

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