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By Bonginkosi Tiwane

Digital Journalist


“My wife has never been the same since the death of her son,” Tibz’s father a year after murder

Tibz’ mother, Ryhab Niniwe Motsoane died at 77 just eight months after his son was murdered outside a nightclub in Durban.


It is a lifelong pain to have to bury your offspring; but to then lose your wife eight months as you’re still coming to terms with the loss of your only son is something that’s become Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane‘s father, Sylvester Motsoane’s reality.

Saturday will mark a year since the fatal shooting of Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and Tibz outside a Durban nightclub.

But the last year has been particularly difficult for the Motsoane family, after Tibz’ mother also passed away in the last few months.

Wiping off his cheeks, an emotional Motsoane spoke about how his son’s murder changed his wife.

“You know, my wife has never been the same since the death of her son. That bubbly person, joking and doing so many things…she was just a person who would do the house work, go into her room and say I want to go and rest. They’ll never be a single day where she’s not saying ‘I miss Tebello.’ That kills me, it was killing me.” averred Motsoane.

Tibz’ father has opened up about how his son’s passing affected his wife, until her passing in October last year. Tibz’ mother, Ryhab Niniwe Motsoane died at 77 with her son’s murder still unresolved.

Motsoane was speaking in a yet to be aired interview on eNCA.  

Tortured

“I was telling my wife after he [Tibz] died, I said ‘you know, there’s really one thing that tortured me for a very long time. I imagine Tebello being shot, and not realising that he’s shot and trying to run away and fell,” he averred.

The senior Motsoane said he was arrested by thoughts of what was going on in his son’s mind in his last moments alive.

“What was in his mind? That thing tortured me for a very long time. The mother [would] say ‘I’m sure he was saying Ma’we, Ma’we, Ma’we’. They were very close with the mother, very close,” said an emotive Motsoane speaking about the bond between his late son and deceased wife.

ALSO READ: ‘They must be kept safe’- Bheki Cele on witnesses who allegedly helped find crucial evidence in AKA murder case

Case remains unsolved

In an interview in December, Police Minister Bheki Cele said that the KwaZulu-Natal Police had found the getaway car and the gun which led to the ultimate death of AKA and Tibz.

Cele said police were keeping two witnesses safe, who allegedly assisted in finding crucial evidence.

“Those two guys must be kept very safe because they know what happened on that particular day, even beyond what happened on that day, about the networks that led to the unfortunate murder of AKA,” said the Police minister in an interview with news broadcaster Faith Mangope on her talk show on Metro FM.

According to the politician, KZN Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi gave a report about the case.

“You know in the newspapers, the news and everything, the police come out and say we know who shot him and we are going to get them very soon,” said a sullen Motsoane.

“That is the story that appears every now and then, and my wife and I said to ourselves: let us not follow this case, the day when it’s complete, they’ll tell us. Then we’ll get closure, let’s not worry about closure now, there will be now closure in the immediate future. They know who did it, they know why they don’t want to arrest them.”  

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