Six individuals have been apprehended in relation to the homicides of renowned South African rapper Kiernan Forbes, commonly known as AKA, and his intimate associate, celebrity chef and entrepreneur Tebello “Tibz” Motshoane.
A year ago, the pair was fatally shot outside a restaurant in Durban, a tragedy that deeply affected South Africans.
Authorities stated that hired assassins were responsible for targeting AKA, although no motive has been disclosed.
Throughout his career, AKA collaborated on numerous successful tracks, including with Nigeria’s Burna Boy.
The suspects, all under the age of 36, are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
“It was clear that AKA was monitored from the airport and Tibz was not the intended target in the murder on Florida Road in Durban,” Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner, said in a press briefing on Tuesday night.
“We know they were paid for this,” Lt Gen Mkwananzi added.
He stated that the six accused individuals assumed various roles in the conspiracy to assassinate AKA.
Among the suspects currently in custody are two gunmen responsible for firing multiple rounds at the victims, two spotters who tracked AKA from Durban’s airport, an individual who procured the firearms used in the attack, and the mastermind behind the plot.
Some of the suspects are also implicated in unrelated murder cases.
During a weekend raid conducted by Interpol, two of the men were located in a hideout in neighboring Eswatini. They appeared in a magistrate’s court in Eswatini on Tuesday, with plans underway to extradite them to face murder charges in South Africa.
Lt. Gen. Mkhwanazi noted that local media coverage of the arrests may have alerted a seventh suspect, who remains at large.
Items recovered during the arrests include four vehicles, firearms associated with the murders of AKA and Motshoane, and spent cartridges.
Police Minister Bheki Cele acknowledged that the killings of AKA and his friend, captured on CCTV cameras, deeply unsettled many citizens in a country with one of the highest murder rates globally.
“I hope South Africans will sleep better after this,” he said.
Reflecting on the motive that minister said it will “come out in court”.
“We are all interested to know what the motive was. It is very clear that it was not a case of someone waking up in the morning angry. You can see that in the build-up and co-ordination.”
AKA commenced his musical journey as a member of the rap ensemble Entity before venturing into his solo endeavors, garnering numerous accolades in South Africa for his musical contributions.
His acclaim extended internationally, earning multiple award nominations from Black Entertainment Television (BET) and MTV Europe. He was posthumously honored at the BET Hip Hop Awards last year.