Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of Kiernan Forbes (AKA) and his friend and former manager Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane. Police Minister Bheki Cele said on Tuesday night, that the men will appear in court on Thursday.
On February 10, last year, award winning rapper AKA and Mr Motsoane were shot and killed in Florida Road, Durban. A brazen gunman walked up to men and shot them point blank outside the popular Wish Restaurant. AKA was murdered about two years after the death of his fiancée, Anele “Nellie” Tembe, who plummeted to her death from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Loop Street, Cape Town, in 2021. Her death was shrouded in mystery, especially after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) declined to prosecute.
On Monday February 26 rumours emerged that two men arrested in the Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) had been involved in AKA and Mr Motsoane’s murder. The Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said they approached the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) – an affidavit was prepared and submitted through Interpol. The two men were arrested in connection with the murder and attempted murder of a man and his driver on Saturday February 24.
“I wish to place on record that the suspects in question came back to South Africa to face a case of murder and attempted where a man, who was a passenger in a vehicle, was shot and killed in Berea on March 6, 2023. The driver of the vehicle survived the shooting and managed to drive to a fuel station in Berea where she sought assistance. Investigation into that particular case pointed to the suspects who were traced and found to be hiding in Eswatini,” said Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi.
These two men are also linked to AKA and Mr Motsoane’s murder, Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi said at a press conference at the South African Police Service (SAPS) headquarters in Durban on Tuesday February 27.
“The six suspects arrested played different roles in the AKA and Motsoane murders. One of them was the co-ordinator and the mastermind in the operation, two were shooters, two were spotters – one observing AKA and his friends inside the restaurant and one who followed AKA from the time he landed at the airport in Durban, drove to his hotel and then to the restaurant. The sixth suspect responsible for hiring the men and gathering sources together. Four of the six men arrested face other charges as well. A total of four vehicles were used in the murders – all of them have been recovered, two of them were rentals and were returned to the owners after evidence was gathered from the cars,” said Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi.
He added that a gun had been recovered on April 22, 2023, and it was confirmed the next day that the bullets used matched the cartridges picked up from the scene of AKA and Mr Motsoane’s murders as well as another shooting. He also added that they were grateful to the authorities in Eswatini for their commitment in eradicating cross-border and transnational crimes that threaten the law and order in neighbouring countries.
“Our teams worked 24 hours looking for the suspects in this cases. We had to be careful not to divulge information prematurely in order to get the suspects in custody. We acknowledged that the murder case of Mr Forbes and Mr Motsoane has attracted huge public interest and is a topical case for both local and international media.
“I have stressed in the past that any development in that case will be timeously communicated with the concerned families first and then the public through the media, will be informed of the developments. Investigations into this cases was sensitive and the police did not wish to communicate any information that may comprise the investigation process,” said Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi.
