Hunt on for Dube's killers

2007-10-19 09:47

Johannesburg - Johannesburg police were on Friday looking for three men driving a blue VW Polo believe to have been involved in the murder of reggae star Lucky Dube, 43.

Dube was shot dead in a botched hijacking in Rosettenville, around 20:20 on Thursday night, said police spokesperson Captain Cheryl Engelbrecht.

The singer was travelling in a grey Chrysler with his two teenage children at the time.

Engelbrecht said Dube had dropped off his son and daughter, aged 15 and 16, when he was attacked. The killers fled the scene, leaving the musician's car behind. The children were unhurt.

"His son was already out of the car. When he saw what was happening, he ran to ask for help."

The boy was too traumatised to provide police with any information, she added.

Melvin Khumalo from Gallo Records - Dube's recording company - was not willing to comment on the incident, saying the company was attending to Dube's family.

Tough times

Lucky Philip Dube was born in Ermelo, east of Johannesburg, on August 3, 1964. After a few failed pregnancy attempts by his mother Sarah, Lucky came into the world, according to an entry on his website, luckydubemusic.com.

His mother considered his birth so fortunate that she aptly named him 'Lucky',

Born into a single parent family, times were tough for a black boy born into poverty under the Group Areas Act and the Pass Laws of the time.

Lucky's parents had separated before he was born. His mother was the only breadwinner in the family and was forced to relocate to find work, leaving Lucky and his siblings, Thandi and Patrick, to be cared for by his grandmother.

With a father who drank heavily, Lucky was somewhat relieved he did not get to know his father when he was younger as he is certain it would have influenced him and swayed his career.

Lucky had only ever been drunk once, as a young boy, after being tricked at a party. So awful was the experience that he swore off alcohol, cigarettes and drugs completely.

He began working as a gardener at the age most children enter school. He later joined a school himself.

Although a clearly underprivileged child and despite being taught in Afrikaans, Lucky excelled and joined the school choir.

He was a natural performer and when the choirmaster walked out of their practise one day, Lucky took over. His popularity amongst his teachers and peers grew dramatically and Lucky was now finding school to a safe haven in his life, according to his website.

Dube went on to become a frontline artist in the reggae genre.

- SAPA