28th February, 2024
Kwazulu Natal Police in South Africa have confirmed the apprehension of six individuals linked to the February 2023 shooting in Durban that claimed the lives of renowned rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes and Tebello ‘Tibs’ Motsoane.
Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, disclosed that thorough investigations have established Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes as the primary target in the shooting incident.
The suspects are due to appear in court on Thursday.
The announcement was made on Tuesday night by the police brass including Cele, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola and KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi at the SA Police Services provincial headquarters in Durban.
Mkhwanazi has led a team of highly skilled police investigators who have been probing the suspected assassination of the celebrated and multi award-winning rapper AKA, whose real name was Kiernan Forbes.
AKA was gunned down in Durban’s Florida Road on February 10, 2023, as he was leaving the Wish Restaurant. His friend, celebrity chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane was also murdered.
Cele said the first suspect arrested, was apprehended in April last year, as IOL first reported.
Police management said two of the suspects were brothers from Durban, who were also linked to the murders of Mntimande Kunene, Nhlanhla Ngcobo and Zamokuhle Mkhwanazi-Ngcobo, murders which took place in eManzimtoti and Berea respectively.
Mkhwanazi said the six men arrested included the mastermind, the spotter and the shooter. He said the suspects were linked to the murder including vehicles and ballistics.
Some of the cars were rented, he said.
AKA’s dad, Tony Forbes, who has been grieving his son and has appeared on a number of podcasts recently, said he believed his son’s murder was a well-funded and planned assassination and that he believed the police were very close to cracking the AKA murder investigation.
He made the comments in early February while speaking with Hazel Mahazard on the Within with Hazel podcast. Forbes also shared how he believed his son’s murder was a well planned hit.
The murder of the AKA murder suspects come a year after he was killed.