South Africa carjackers kill a music legend

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — A wave of anger and shock has followed the killing this week of reggae music legend Lucky Dube by car hijackers, with politicians from across the spectrum calling for a renewed effort in South Africa to reduce one of the world's highest murder rates.

Killings for a cellphone, a few dollars or old household goods barely rate headlines, but the shooting Thursday night of Dube, 43, one of Africa's most renowned musicians, in front of his teenage son and daughter horrified South Africans from President Thabo Mbeki down.

South African police set up a task force Friday to track down the three suspects who confronted Dube as he dropped off his son and daughter at home Thursday night.

Dube recorded more than 20 albums over the past 25 years and toured extensively. Much of his work had political or social messages, including strong anti-apartheid themes. His last album, released in 2005, was named "Respect" and included songs with such titles as "Political Games," "Changing World " and "Celebrate Life."

Crime has been a political hot potato since the end of the apartheid era, but despite its boasts of success, the African National Congress government remains under pressure to better control the violence, with the country due to host the 2010 soccer World Cup. Nearly 20,000 people a year are murdered in South Africa.

Some politicians called Friday for the reinstatement of the death penalty, and the opposition Democratic Alliance said Dube's slaying was more evidence that crime continued to spiral out of control.

"The circumstances surrounding his murder again illustrate that violent crime in South Africa is out of control, and that government's remedies to address this scourge have failed," alliance spokeswoman Desiree van der Walt said.

The attack came during a surge in national pride as South Africa's rugby team, the Springboks, prepared for the World Cup final in France today.