The Eastern Cape soccer referee who allegedly shot dead a coach and injured two players during a match at Kenton-on-Sea in July has been arrested in Port Elizabeth, police said on Thursday.
Grahamstown policing area spokesperson Inspector Mali Govender said detectives had followed up information that the man was hiding in the Walmer township in Port Elizabeth.
He was located in a small room, arrested and taken to Kenton-on-Sea where he is expected to appear in the local magistrate’s court on Monday.
The man was alone at the time. A firearm found in his possession was confiscated and sent for ballistic testing.
The shooting occurred during a match between the Ekuphumuleni and Marcelle teams at Kenton-on-Sea about a month ago. Witnesses said the shooting followed Marcelle players objecting to a yellow card.
The referee, a spectator who was asked to officiate at the match, then drew a firearm and apparently shot the Marcelle coach in the chest. He also shot two other players before fleeing.
The coach died on the scene.
The SA Football Association (Safa) afterwards said that the man was not a qualified referee and the match was supposed to have been a ”friendly”. – Sapa