Cape Town — South African reggae superstar, Lucky Dube, was shot dead in an attempted hijacking in the southern suburbs of Johannesburg on Thursday night.

Dube was dropping his two teenage children off at at his brother's house when he was attacked by a gang of armed men, a local radio station reported.

Dube's son was out of the car when the gunmen approached and shot Dube. The boy called for help but his father died at the scene. His son was too traumatised to provide the police with any information.

Police spokesperson Eugene Opperman told Reuters news agency: “They (the hijackers) allegedly tried to take his vehicle, but then shots were fired and he was fatally wounded.”

The children were unhurt, and the gunmen fled the scene. No arrests have been made.

Dube started his musical career by singing traditional Zulu music and later moved on to reggae. His first album, “Rastas Never Die”, released in 1984, was banned by the apartheid government.

Dube's last album, "Respect," was released in April this year. He recorded over 20 albums and won more than 20 local and international awards over the course of his career.