Six individuals have been arrested and detained in connection to the murder of South African rapper Kiernan Jarryd Forbes, widely known as AKA, and his former manager and friend, Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, announced South African Police Minister Bheki Cele on Tuesday night. The suspects are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
AKA (35) and Motsoane were fatally shot on Florida Road in Morningside, Durban, on February 10, 2023. The shooting occurred outside the Wish on Florida restaurant, captured on CCTV footage and widely circulated on African social media.
The arrested suspects played various roles in the operation, according to Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KZN provincial commissioner. The roles included a coordinator, two shooters, two spotters, and the organizer of firearms and vehicles used in the crime. One of the spotters reportedly followed Forbes from the airport, observing his movements until the attack.
The suspects were also linked to other murder cases, and during the arrests, the police recovered four vehicles, a firearm, and cartridges associated with the crime scene. The first vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz, was recovered on March 6, 2023, and the firearm used in the shooting was retrieved on April 22.
AKA, an award-winning South African hip-hop artist, faced tragedy less than two years after the death of his fiancée, Anele “Nellie” Tembe, who died in 2021 from injuries sustained in a fall from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Loop Street, Cape Town.
