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AKA murder case: Seventh suspect arrested
The police have not ruled out the possibility of more arrests.
Rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes performs during the Miss Mamelodi Sundowns 2020 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu
Another suspect allegedly involved in the murders of Kiernan Forbes, also known as AKA, and his friend, Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, has been arrested.
This is according to the South African Police Service (Saps).
National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe confirmed that the 30-year-old suspect was apprehended in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Wednesday after being on the run.
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The arrest of the seventh suspect comes a day after Police Minister Bheki Cele and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi revealed that six suspects were in custody in connection to the murders.
Only five suspects, however, will appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Thursday since the other two are currently detained in eSwatini.
Forbes and Motsoane were gunned down outside the now-defunct Wish on Florida restaurant in Durban, on 10 February last year.
Arrest timelines
On Tuesday night, Cele and Mkhwanazi provided an update on the police’s investigations into the double murders, giving the details of how the police managed to crack the case.
Although the motive remains unclear at this stage, it was confirmed that Forbes was the main target of the alleged hit, while Motsoane was shot by coincidence.
Mkhwanazi revealed that the alleged mastermind, two hitmen, two spotters and the organiser of firearms and vehicles used were arrested at different intervals in connection to other cases as the police gathered evidence on Forbes and Motsoane’s deaths.
The person who organised the firearms and vehicles was the first suspect to be arrested in Cape Town on 22 April 2023.
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The second person was arrested a few months later on 24 October and charged on a separate murder case, while the the third suspect was nabbed on 14 December.
Two others were apprehended in eSwatini on 24 February this year and are expected to be deported back to South Africa, according to the KZN police commissioner.
The sixth person, the alleged mastermind, handed himself over to the police on 27 February.
The seventh suspect went into hiding after being reportedly tipped off, but was subsequently arrested. The police have not ruled out the possibility of more arrests.
Firearm, vehicles
Mkhwanazi further confirmed that the firearm that was used to shoot Forbes was recovered on 22 April.
Additionally, four vehicles as well as cartilages that were linked to another crime scene were also recovered.
The getaway vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz, was recovered on 6 March, while the BMW used to trail Forbes when he landed in KZN was found in August.
A Hyundai i10 vehicle and Volkswagen Polo were both recovered in October.
Additional reporting by: Chulumanco Mahamba
