Suspects Linked to Several Other Murder Cases Face Court Proceedings
As five men charged with the murder of rap star Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his associate Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane prepare for their initial court appearance today, the mastermind behind the attack still eludes identification.
At a press briefing held on Tuesday evening, KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi disclosed that their investigation leading to the apprehension of the seven suspects had yet to uncover the individual orchestrating AKA’s murder.
Two months ago, Police Minister Bheki Cele, in a radio interview, disclosed that associates of AKA were under police protection due to their knowledge of events surrounding the fatal incident and the syndicate networks implicated in AKA’s murder.
These associates provided crucial information to law enforcement, leading to the recovery of the weapons and vehicles used in the killings.
During a conversation with Metro FM Talk show host Faith Mangope in December, Cele emphasized the importance of safeguarding these witnesses, stating, “We know who we are chasing, and those two individuals must be kept very safe because they possess crucial information about the events of that particular day and the broader network involved in the tragic murder of AKA.”
On February 10 of last year, AKA and Motsoane tragically lost their lives outside Wish restaurant on Florida Road in Durban.
Mkhwanazi, speaking this week, highlighted that while police inquiries confirmed AKA as the primary target, authorities have yet to ascertain whether the directive for his assassination originated from a higher authority.
“We have apprehended the coordinator. This individual assembled the team, arranged resources, and compensated them post-operation. However, whether he acted upon instructions from someone else is still uncertain due to lack of evidence. It’s clear he orchestrated the operation…whether under external direction is subject to ongoing investigation,” he stated.
“This coordinator was commanding the operatives on the day of the murders.”
According to Mkhwanazi, investigations unveiled that AKA was trailed from the airport to his hotel by an observer who subsequently followed him to the restaurant. While AKA and his companions dined inside the establishment, another observer monitored their movements from within.
“The intention was to ambush him in his vehicle, but he [AKA] lingered outside, greeting his friends, and that’s when they attacked him. We’ve apprehended two shooters, as seen in social media footage,” he disclosed, noting their connections to additional murder cases.
“The second suspect facilitated the weaponry and transportation, also tied to two separate murder cases.”
As per police investigations, three of the suspects were implicated in a murder that took place in the vicinity a month following the tragic deaths of AKA and Motsoane. Additionally, three of the suspects were associated with another murder in Amanzimtoti in 2022.
Furthermore, the firearm employed in the murders of AKA and Motsoane was utilized in yet another homicide.
Police divulge that AKA was the primary target, with his friend Tibz tragically caught in the crossfire.
On April 22 of the previous year, authorities arrested the firearm supplier after recovering a Mercedes Benz and the weapon used in the murders. Six months later, one of the spotters was apprehended. Subsequently, on December 14, one of the shooters was also taken into custody.
Then, on February 24 of this year, the second shooter and another spotter were captured and arrested at a residence in eSwatini following a tip-off from an informant. However, Mkhwanazi highlighted that one of the suspects went into hiding after a media story in that country alarmed them.
On Tuesday, February 27, the coordinator was apprehended.
Mkhwanazi explained that the police employed a strategy of connecting the accused individuals to other crimes before formally charging them with the murders. “After identifying these six, we looked for parallel cases they were involved in and charged them accordingly. We arrested and detained them while continuing our investigations,” he stated. “Our goal was to ensure we could apprehend all the suspects.”
The seventh suspect, who had evaded capture, was arrested on Wednesday.
Source: https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2024-02-29-akas-killers-go-to-court/
