Cape Town - A popular soccer coach and taxi owner from Heideveld in Cape Town was gunned down shortly after his team won a local tournament on Tuesday night.
Heartbroken relatives of Faried Lakay, 44, the founder of Only The Brave (OTB) Football Club, say they watched in disbelief as he was declared dead in the parking lot of the Heideveld Sports Field.
His sister Sharief Lakay-Wehr, 46, said the family spent the day on the field, supporting her brother and his club for the finals in the LFA League, where they played against Goal 50.
“It was at exactly 10.05pm when the shooting happened in the parking lot,” she said.
“They just won the match 6-1 and he was getting in the car with a friend when the shots went off. We still can’t believe he was shot seven times.”
Lakay's traumatised friend, who asked not to be named, explained that they had just gotten into his white VW Polo when the gunman appeared on the passenger side of the vehicle and opened fire.
“Faried was driving my car and we just got in and the guy came and started
shooting.
“I put my arm up and was shot twice in the arm. They took me to Heideveld Emergency Centre and I asked where is Faried.
“They didn’t even want to tell me, but they told me in hospital that he died.
“I can’t believe he is dead. He was my best friend,” he said as he wept.
Acting station
commander, Colonel Sanele Zama, confirmed the case and said detectives were following up leads but had not established a motive for the
murder.
When the Daily Voice visited the father of two’s home on Wednesday, residents and children could be seen crying as they sympathised with his family.
Shariefa said her brother had started the club two years ago in the hopes of helping children in Heideveld and Manenberg stay away from drugs and gangs.
“He was a coach, but he was more than that. He did everything for those boys and some of them were even in gangs but left because he showed them another way,” she said.
“We are still in shock but also upset to think Faried was a community man and here he must die like this. He was not a gangster, he didn’t deserve this.”
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