(Reuters) - A South African strip club owner was shot and killed in Johannesburg late on Monday and police were hunting for the shooter who fled the scene after reporting the crime. Lolly Jackson, who called himself "The King of Teaze" in his autobiography, was killed at the gunman's house, police spokesman Eugene Opperman said on Tuesday.
"The motive for the killing is unknown. A man phoned police to claim responsibility and is believed to have fled the scene in Jackson's car," said Opperman.
Jackson owned a string of high-class strip clubs called Teazers across Johannesburg and was no stranger to controversy. His love of fast cars landed him in trouble with the law in 2005 when he was caught driving at 249km per hour (155 miles per hour) in a Lamborghini. He said he had been on his way to church.
His murder comes just 37 days before the Soccer World Cup kicks off in South Africa and has again put spotlight on the country's violent crime rates, among the highest in the world. About 50 murders are committed each day, a slightly more than in the United States, which has a population six times larger South Africa's 50 million people.
Two years ago Jackson was cleared of fraud and immigration contraventions and last year he pleaded guilty to assaulting a former employee.
In April he appeared in court on charges of extortion, kidnapping, intimidation and assault. The case related to a fight with a former stripper and Teazers' dancer.
His love of fast cars landed him in trouble with the law in 2005 when he was caught driving at 249km per hour (155 miles per hour) in a Lamborghini.
What kind of pursuit cars do they have in South Africa? The dashcam video would be one hell of a recruiting tool.
A man phoned police to claim responsibility and is believed to have fled the scene in Jackson's car," said Opperman.
Time to rev up that super fast pursuit car.