Quote:JOHANNESBURG - South African police have arrested three suspects for the murder of former world heavyweight boxing champion Cornelius "Corrie" Sanders, who died on Sunday after being shot by armed robbers who burst into his nephew's 21st birthday party.

The suspects - all Zimbabwean citizens - are due to appear before magistrates in Brits, 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Johannesburg, on Monday on charges of murder and armed robbery.

"The police confiscated a cellular phone, vehicle key, purse and cash that were allegedly robbed during the robbery and belong to the victims," police said in a statement.

Sanders, 46, was shot in the arm and the stomach when robbers raided a restaurant near Brits, in North West Province, where he and other family members were attending the party.

He was rushed to hospital but died from his wounds in the early hours of Sunday.

Sanders, nicknamed "The Sniper" because of his fierce left-hand punch, won the World Boxing Organization heavyweight title in 2003 with a surprise knockout of Ukraine's Wladimir Klitschko. He lost only four of his 46 professional fights.

Quote:Pretoria - Claims are being probed that boxer Corrie Sanders was turned away from the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria after being shot, a health official said.

?Kalafong and Dr George Mukhari Hospitals are the referral hospitals for patients from the North West province because of their proximity to that province,? Gauteng health spokesman Simon Zwane said.

?There is however no policy allowing patients in emergency situation to be turned away.?

The 46-year-old Sanders was at the Thatch Haven Country Lodge, in Brits, on Saturday celebrating his nephew's 21st birthday when armed men arrived and randomly fired shots.

Sanders, who was shot in the hand and stomach, died at the Kalafong hospital on Sunday.

The Democratic Alliance said he was refused treatment at Steve Biko hospital, according to the Sanders family.

?It is possible that his life could have been saved if he was treated at the specialist facilities at Steve Biko, rather than the lower-level Kalafong Hospital which has a poor reputation,? MPL Jack Bloom said in a statement.

Zwane said the department believed Sanders was given appropriate treatment at Kalafong Hospital.

The DA was calling for a inquiry into the matter.

Bloom said sources had told him that North West ambulances were regularly turned away from the hospital.

?People often lie that they have been injured in Gauteng in order to get admitted there,? he said.

The Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) on Tuesday reminded health care practitioners that they were obliged during emergency situations to stabilise patients.

?Section 27 of the Constitution, the National Health Act, as well as the HPCSA's ethical guidelines clearly states that a health care provider may not refuse a person emergency medical treatment,? CEO Dr Buyiswa Mjamba-Matshoba said in a statement.

?The council therefore wishes to remind all health care practitioners of this ethical responsibility.?

Mediclinic on Tuesday said Sanders was never brought to one of its hospitals.

?Many mistakenly believe that Mr Sanders was taken to a Mediclinic Hospital and refused access,? the hospital group said in a statement.

?We would like to state categorically that he was not taken to Mediclinic Brits or any other Mediclinic hospital.?

Sanders, who was nicknamed 'The Sniper' in his fighting days, was one of South Africa's most successful boxers on the global stage.

He won the WBO title and held his own against some of the most respected boxers in the world.

The heavyweight southpaw, who was trained by Harold Volbrecht, fought 46 times in his career, losing only four bouts.

Quote:Police are still working day and night to hunt down the man who shot former heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders.

No one has been arrested since Sanders was shot near the Northwest town of Brits on Saturday but brigadier Thulani Ngubane has told the news media the search for the three gunmen is continuing ?round the clock?.

Sanders was among a number of leading SA sportsmen who have been shot during criminal activities.

Another former boxer, Richard Smith, was shot dead at his home south of Johannesburg few years ago.

Mzukisi Sikali, also an outstanding boxer, was stabbed to death in 2005. And Louis Vorster, an outstanding cricketer, was gunned down near Honeydew earlier this year.

Andrew Hall, also a prominent cricketer, and former Springbok Gerrie Germishuys, survived serious gunshot wounds. Legendary Springbok loose forward Jan Ellis has also been attacked and seriously injured on his farm near Pretoria.

Former Springbok captains Naas Botha and John Smit, former heavyweight boxer Callie Knoetze and Harold Volbrecht, who trained Sanders, are among the many former sports stars who have paid tribute to the golf-loving Sanders.

Volbrecht is said to be distraught. He was at Emperors Palace near Kempton Park, getting his boxers ready for a big tournament, when Sanders was shot.

LAY ACROSS HIS DAUGHTER

While SA sport in general and boxing in particular mourned the death of the hugely popular Sanders, it has emerged that the former champion lay across his 15-year-old daughter Marinique while the robbers were shooting randomly at guests at the restaurant where they were attending a family member?s 21st birthday.

Beeld reported on Monday that Sanders, who died of a stomach wound at Kalafong hospital on Sunday morning, had whispered to Marinique to pretend she was dead.

She, and all the other youngsters at the party, escaped unharmed.

Witnesses say the robbers fled when a vehicle?s alarm went off in the car park. They took some personal belongings, mostly cellphones from the nearly 50 people at the restaurant.

The robbers carried pistols and it has been reported that 9mm cartridges were found at the scene. Sanders was the only person hit by a bullet.

Quote:In a tragic story, former heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders was shot during a restaurant robbery outside Brits in South Africa. Sanders was reportedly shot in the stomach. He was rushed to the hospital but doctors was unable to save him and the boxer passed away.

Sanders was best known for his memorable HBO televised war with Hasim Rahman, the shocking two round knockout of Wladimir Klitschko in March 2003, and the 2004 eight round war with older brother Vitali Klitschko.

Sanders, 46, retired after a first round knockout loss to Osborne Machimana in February 2008. He left the sport with a very respectable record of 42-4, 31KOs.

A eye-witness told Neil Collins that three men stormed the restaurant at Thatch Haven Country Lodge, just off Carel de Wet Road near Brits outside Pretoria. He died after emergency surgery at Kalafong Hospital this morning.

?Corrie didn?t try anything heroic, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They shot him in the stomach. There was also a wound in his arm. I?m not sure if it was all from the same bullet.?

Quote:The boxing world is shocked over the death of former WBO world heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders. As BoxingScene.com reported late Saturday night, the boxer died of injuries sustained in a shooting at a Pretoria restaurant where he was celebrating his nephew's 21st birthday.

Three men burst into the restaurant on Saturday evening and fired randomly where the family were dining, shooting Sanders in the stomach and hand as he dived in front of his daughter to protect her.

He was taken to a local hospital and underwent emergency surgery, but the 46-year-old died from his injuries on Sunday morning.

Police had originally said that Sanders had been there for his daughter's birthday but the owner of the restaurant clarified that later.

"Michael's (the brother of the victim) son was turning 21, and Corrie was also there when they (the robbers) came," Johan Bejager told the Sapa news agency.

Sunette Sanders, the ex-wife of the former champion, told radio station 702 that he had died heroically:

"He was just protecting his girl because they were shooting. He was hit by the two bullets, one in the arm and the other one through part of the stomach."

Sanders retired in 2008 with an impressive record of 42 wins against just four defeats, with his most famous victory being in 2003 when he won the WBO world heavyweight title by knocking-out Wladimir Klitschko in the second round after putting him down four times.

It was hailed as one of the greatest upsets in boxing history but Sanders was to find his brother Vitali a challenge too far when he challenged him for his WBC heavyweight title a year later with the fight being stopped in the eighth round.

The Klitschkos released a statement mourning his death.

"We were shocked to learn of the sudden death of Corrie Sanders and we want to express our sincere condolences to his family. We will remember Corrie as a great person both inside and outside the ring. He was a great fighter with a big heart who always positively represented the sport of boxing."

His death was greeted with shock by sportspeople round the world and provoked glowing tributes from former boxers as well as fellow South African sporting icons.

South Africa's 2007 World Cup winning rugby captain John Smit echoed many of the tweets at the senseless waste of life.

"Just woke up to news of Corrie Sanders having been murdered last night, what another senseless waste of life in SA. RIP Champion," wrote Smit.

South African cricketers presently on duty at the world Twenty20 in Sri Lanka also chipped in their reactions.

"Shocking news about Corrie Sanders' death, gonna miss u Corras," commented ace batsman and Twenty20 skipper AB deVilliers.

Pace bowler Albie Morkel said his joy at beating hosts Sri Lanka in Saturday's Twenty20 game had been soured by the news.

"Went to bed as a happy man last night only to wake up to the tragic news of Corrie Sanders death.. Another senseless murder in SA!! RIP"

Byrd Man Wrote:From The Scene

Quote:In a tragic story, former heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders was shot during a restaurant robbery outside Brits in South Africa. Sanders was reportedly shot in the stomach. He was rushed to the hospital but doctors was unable to save him and the boxer passed away.

Sanders was best known for his memorable HBO televised war with Hasim Rahman, the shocking two round knockout of Wladimir Klitschko in March 2003, and the 2004 eight round war with older brother Vitali Klitschko.

Sanders, 46, retired after a first round knockout loss to Osborne Machimana in February 2008. He left the sport with a very respectable record of 42-4, 31KOs.

A eye-witness told Neil Collins that three men stormed the restaurant at Thatch Haven Country Lodge, just off Carel de Wet Road near Brits outside Pretoria. He died after emergency surgery at Kalafong Hospital this morning.

?Corrie didn?t try anything heroic, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They shot him in the stomach. There was also a wound in his arm. I?m not sure if it was all from the same bullet.?