It is officially Day 7 or one week since the murder of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his close friend, Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane.
As yet, no arrests have been made by police and investigations are continuing.
On Thursday, scores of people were expected to attend Tibz’s memorial service at the Sacred Hearts College in Observatory, Joburg, while thousands were expected to attend a public memorial for AKA at the Sandton Convention Centre on Friday.
Both AKA and Tibz will be buried in private funerals on Saturday.
Meanwhile, brand builder Thebe Ikalafeng has penned a moving and thought-provoking tribute on his Instagram account, questioning how we find ourselves in this state of ruthless gun violence, perpetual violence, fear and other social ills as a country.
He wrote:
I have been trying to make sense of the senseless killing of AKA, Tibz
I have been trying to make sense of the senseless killing of Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his best friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane.
I have been trying to make sense of what type of society raises a citizenry with such little disregard for life.
I have been trying to make sense of what type of country we’ve become where this loss, like that of many others, is tolerated without much, if any, consequences.
I have been trying to wrap my head around what Lynn and Tony, and the parents of Tibz are going through now, having to bury their children who had so much life ahead.
I have been trying to make sense of the many unnamed South Africans who don’t make the headlines whose lives are taken ruthlessly and prematurely every minute.
I have been trying to make sense of how the country we imagined during the Struggle for freedom, for which many sacrificed and stood for hours in 1994 to cast a vote for a different, safe and better future, has become the most dangerous place to call home.
I have been trying to imagine when it will be safe to wake up from the violent nightmare that has become everyday in South Africa.
I have been wondering if those we’ve put in positions to protect us, care about us. If they too don’t have any children, friends and family in this harm’s way. If they will only wake up to their responsibility when it happens to their own. If they have any humanity.
If they can slow down and step out of their motorcades, turn off their blue lights and step out to make sure we too feel safe in our homes and streets.
It’s too much. It’s too often. It’s too easy. It’s unacceptable.
It’s the reality of the new South Africa we didn’t sign up for and should never accept.
We shouldn’t accept that AKA and Tibz will likely be just another statistic.
In our helpless state, we ask His Almighty to cover the Forbes and Motsoane families in His safe embrace.
To welcome their sons to a place where they will never need security, high walls, panic buttons nor alarms to feel safe.
A place that knows no harm nor hurt.
To pray to ease the pain and loss, however impossible, for the Forbes, Motsoane and the many nameless victims of South Africa’s wrath on its own citizens. RIP Tibz. RIP AKA. It is not well.
** Thebe Ikalafeng is a brand builder and the founder and chairman of Brand Africa. He originally shared the post on Instagram.