eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, has welcomed the arrests of six people linked to the murder of Kiernan Forbes and Tebello 'Tibz' Motsoane.
The police announced the arrests, including Police Minister Bheki Cele, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, and KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. AKA was killed on February 10, 2023, while leaving a restaurant. The six suspects included a co-ordinator, shooters, spotters, and someone who supplied firearms and vehicles. The first arrest was made in April 2023, and the motive for the killing is not yet known.
Kaunda commended the police for the double murder breakthrough, stating that it will bring renewed hope to South Africa and restore confidence in the city's commitment to fighting crime. The suspects are expected to appear in court on Thursday.
Yesterday, Police Minister Bheki Cele has announced that six men, some of whom were recently arrested in eSwatini, have been arrested in connection with the murder of South African rapper AKA. The suspects are due to appear in court on Thursday. Mkhwanazi, who leads a team of skilled police investigators, has been probing the suspected assassination of AKA, whose real name was Kiernan Forbes. AKA was shot dead outside a Florida Road restaurant in February last year, and his friend, celebrity chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, was also murdered.
The first suspect arrested was apprehended in April last year. Two of the suspects were brothers from Durban, who were also linked to the murders of Mntimande Kunene, Nhlanhla Ngcobo, and Zamokuhle Mkhwanazi-Ngcobo, which took place in eManzimtoti and Berea respectively. The six men arrested included the mastermind, spotter, and shooter, and were linked to the murder including vehicles and ballistics. Some of the cars were rented.
AKA’s father, Tony Forbes, believes his son’s murder was a well-funded and planned assassination and believes the police are very close to cracking the AKA murder investigation. CCTV footage of the AKA murder was published in February last year, and the latest arrests come 11 months after four other suspects were apprehended in March last year at the Erica Square in Belhar in the Western Cape.
