South Africa mourns slain national team captain; manhunt under way

The shooting death of the beloved captain of South Africa’s national soccer team during an apparent house robbery stunned a country long accustomed to violent crime, and police launched a manhunt for the intruders.

Charismatic goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was known for his athleticism and easy way with fans, teammates and coaches, and his slaying delivered yet another blow to the national sports scene.

The 27-year-old Meyiwa was killed about 8 pm on Sunday after two gunmen entered the house of his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, a South African singer and celebrity, authorities said.

He was shot in the upper body, and the gunmen, along with an accomplice who had waited outside the home in Vosloorus township near Johannesburg, fled on foot, according to police.

“Words cannot express the nation’s shock at this loss,” President Jacob Zuma said, leading the national grief for Meyiwa.

Zuma urged law enforcement authorities to “leave no stone unturned” in finding the killers, and police offered a reward of nearly US$23,000 for information leading to their arrest and conviction.

South African sports officials had already expressed sadness at the saga of Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympic runner who fatally shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last year.