Police in KwaZulu-Natal are expected to make a major announcement on Tuesday night in the murder investigation of South African rapper, AKA, who was shot dead outside a Florida Road restaurant in February last year.
A highly skilled team of police investigators have been probing the suspected assassination of the celebrated and multi award-winning rapper AKA, whose real name was Kiernan Forbes.
AKA, who was also known to his fans as the SUPA MEGA, was gunned down in Durban’s Florida Road on February 10, 2023, as he was leaving the Wish Restaurant. His friend, celebrity chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane was also murdered.
In a short statement, the South African Police Service (SAPS) Ministry said a media briefing would take place at KZN SAPS headquarters in Durban at 9pm on Tuesday night. The briefing had been earlier communicated to kick off at 8pm.
Earlier this month, national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said police had linked identified suspects through their prosecution-driven investigation.
Mathe said some suspects were already in police custody on charges related to other matters while police were “hot on the heels” of other suspects.
AKA’s murder and the subsequent investigation has dominated the news in the last 12 months.
On Monday, an Eswatini publication reported that two brothers - who were believed to be hitmen who had been hiding in the landlocked country, were arrested in connection with AKA's murder at the weekend.
The Times of Swaziland reported that the alleged hitmen were from Durban and were arrested by Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS). They had been renting a flat in Mbabane.
The publication reported that the men were paid just over R133,000 for their part in the apparent hit.
The men are aged 28 and 29 and have already appeared in an Eswatini court prior to their extradition to South Africa. The duo face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition and money laundering.
On Monday evening, the SAPS, through KZN provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, said the two suspects were being extradited to answer on a separate Berea murder case.
Mkhwanazi did not rule out the brothers' alleged involvement in AKA and Motsoane’s murders, but he emphasized that the AKA murder investigation was a prosecutorial-led investigation, which was at a sensitive stage and that police would make announcements when they were ready.
The latest arrests come 11 months after four were apprehended in Erica Square in Belhar in the Western Cape, in connection with the murders.
At the time, IOL reported that the men were all brought to Durban however, only one suspect lined up in the dock at the Durban Magistrate’s Court on a charge of car-jacking.
Police have also declined to give information on any further developments in the case, until now.
Meanwhile, AKA’s father, Tony Forbes, believes his son’s murder was a well-funded and planned assassination. Speaking on the Within with Hazel podcast, hosted by Hazel Mahazard, Forbes said AKA’s murder took planning and required significant resources.
Tony described how the gunman walked around (the group of friends with AKA), targeted him and shot him in the head.
He said a second shooter walked around to make sure the “job is done” and he supposedly fired a shot that fatally wounded Motsoane.
“There is nothing random about that,” he said.
In the interview, Tony revealed how AKA loved the city of Durban and was engrossed in the Zulu culture, even from an early age.
IOL News