Cabinet has commended the South African Police Service for their tireless work which has led to the arrest of seven people in connection with the murder of South African rapper, Kiernan Jarryd Forbes, known as AKA, and his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane.
Forbes was gunned down in Durban’s Florida Road on 10 February 2023 as he was leaving the Wish restaurant. His friend, Motsoane was also murdered.
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, announced the arrest of the six suspects during a media briefing held at the SA Police Service provincial headquarters in Durban.
A seventh suspect was arrested on Wednesday morning.
At the briefing, which was also attended by Police Minister Bheki Cele and National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, Mkhwanazi said Forbes was the main target of the shooting, and not Motsoane, who was “at the wrong place at the wrong time”.
The suspects were arrested on Tuesday evening and are facing charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, among others.
The suspects arrested included a coordinator, shooters, spotter and person who hired the vehicle and firearms.
“The arrests are as result of months of painstaking police work,” Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said during a media briefing on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, five suspects made a brief appearance at Durban Magistrates Court on Thursday morning.
The case was postponed to 6 March 2024 for bail application.
Ntshavheni said two of the suspects, who were arrested in Eswatini, are still to be extradited to the country.
