Lucky Dube - File

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters):

Five people have been arrested in connection with the murder last week of reggae star Lucky Dube, South African police said on Monday.

Dube, 43, was shot three times in front of his two children on Thursday, in what police said was an attempted carjacking.

Police spokesman Superinten-dent Eugene Opperman said five men were arrested in an early morning raid on a house east of Johannesburg on Sunday and would appear in court on Tuesday.

"They will be appearing at the magistrate court to face various charges which will be specified later," he said.

Suspects' age

Police said the suspects were aged between 31 and 35 and most of them were Mozambican.

Suspected stolen goods were found in the house, police said.

"The investigation is still going on and we hope to arrest more people," Opperman added.

The high-profile murder prompted new calls for a crackdown on violent crime in South Africa, which has one of the highest crime rates in the world.

Police figures showed the murder rate rose 2.4 per cent between April 1, 2006, and March 31, 2007, with 19,202 murders recorded. The number of rapes, carjackings and assaults also remained high.