Other 7 Suspects Arrested in Connection with AKA and Tibz Homicides

Six suspects have been apprehended in connection with the homicides of renowned South African rapper Kiernan Forbes, popularly known as AKA, and his close friend, celebrity chef and entrepreneur Tebello "Tibz" Motshoane. The pair was fatally shot outside a restaurant in Durban a year ago, in an incident that stunned the nation.

Investigations have revealed that hitmen were paid to kill the musician. The suspects, all aged below 36, are due to appear in court on Thursday. "It was clear that AKA was monitored from the airport and Tibz was not the intended target in the murder on Florida Road in Durban," Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner, said in a press briefing on Tuesday night. "We know they were paid for this," Lt Gen Mkwananzi added.

The motive for the killing was not revealed. Lt Gen Mkhwanazi said that the six accused men played different roles in the plot to kill AKA. The suspects who are behind bars include two gunmen who fired several rounds at the victims, two spotters who followed them from Durban's airport, someone who sourced the firearms which were used in the ambush, as well as the mastermind. Some of the suspects are also linked to other murder cases which are unrelated to these killings.

Two of the men were found in a hideout in neighboring Eswatini following a raid which was carried out by Interpol at the weekend. They appeared at a magistrate's court in Eswatini on Tuesday. Plans are under way to extradite the duo to face murder charges in South Africa. Lt Gen Mkhwanazi said local media reports around the arrest may have tipped off a seventh suspect, who is still on the run.

read also AKA Murder Suspects Arrested in Eswatini: Doubts Surface

Exhibits recovered during the arrests include four vehicles, firearms linked to the murders of AKA and Motshoane, and empty cartridges. Police Minister Bheki Cele acknowledged that the killings of AKA and his friend, which was caught on CCTV cameras, disturbed many people in the country, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world. "I hope South Africans will sleep better after this," he said. AKA began his musical career as part of the rap group Entity before he launched his solo career, winning several awards in South Africa for his music. He was also celebrated internationally, with several nominations for awards from Black Entertainment Television (BET) and MTV Europe. He received a posthumous honor at the BET Hip Hop Awards last year. The shooting dead of the performer and his friend at a restaurant last year shocked South Africans. read more on BBC.