Tourism industry weighs in on AKA’s murder in Durban
Durban — The hospitality industry body Federated Hospitality Association of SA (Fedhasa) has said that the impact of the murders of renowned rapper Kiernan Forbes, better known as AKA, and his close friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane on the tourism sector would be minimal.
Forbes, 35, and Motsoane, 34, were gunned down outside Wish restaurant on Durban’s popular Florida Road on Friday night. The duo had met outside the restaurant prior to Forbes’s release of a new album and birthday celebration where he was due to perform at YuGo nightclub.
Fedhasa’s Brett Tungay said any loss of life was tragic, but it was important to note that incidents such as these were isolated and did not reflect the overall safety and security of South Africa as a tourist destination.
“The tourism industry in South Africa is thriving, and continues to attract millions of visitors each year. Fedhasa believes that the impact on the tourism sector will be minimal, and that the industry will continue to grow and flourish. The South African tourism sector is a key contributor to the country’s economy, and we are confident that it will continue to provide opportunities for growth and development, even in light of this recent event,” said Tungay.
KwaZulu-Natal violence monitor Mary de Haas said killings using hit men have become the norm and would continue until something drastic was done by prioritising crime intelligence.
The media and communities do not hear about most of these incidents because police do not inform people as they are “highly docile”, she said.
“They will continue to happen until something drastic is done about policing, starting with management and the minister who runs police through management, prioritising crime intelligence which is riddled with corruption from top down as the Zondo Commission found.
“July 2021 demonstrates that ordinary people know where to find armed hit men but our police don’t because too many are incompetent or complicit.
“But it starts with a complete lack of will by government executives to deal with it, including regulating and policing the taxi industry where most of the hit men are located. There are too many political and police interests in the taxi industry,” De Haas said.
In CCTV footage leaked on Saturday night, Forbes is seen hugging a man said to be Motsoane. Soon after a man across the street walked towards the crew and fired one shot to Forbes’s head who instantly fell to the ground while the suspect fled the scene.
In the video, it is unclear when Motsoane was shot. Motsoane was Forbes’s former manager and the head of a branding and marketing company, Showlove Consulting.
Since the early hours of Saturday, police spent hours at the crime scene gathering evidence and questioning staff and witnesses. The rapper’s father, Tony Forbes, and his brother Steffan were flown into the city to identify the body.
Prior to the shooting, the rapper had documented his day on Instagram – from his flight, being at the gym, and getting a haircut to his last moment taking a video of his seafood platter at Wish.
Social media is divided with speculation about the motive behind his killing, but his fans and celebrities flooded social media platforms with tributes.
“Kiernan was a great talent, a proud South African who loved his country and its people. His music expressed that love, and appreciation for our diverse cultures … ” posted @MbalulaFikile.
Lady Zamar: “The numbing shock upon hearing that AKA has passed away. There are no words to express the sorrow of such an untimely death.”
@lasizwe said typing the message seemed unreal.
“AKA is no longer with us? Just like that? I can’t believe this. Praying for the Forbes family and Nadia Nakai. Today is such a sad day. Long Live Super Mega Long Live! RIP Kiernan Forbes.”
eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda called on the police to speed up the investigation and bring those responsible to book.
“The news of AKA’s passing comes as a shock … we were looking forward to seeing him perform at the Durban All White Concert at the Durban ICC next Saturday. We call on members of the community who might have witnessed the incident to share information with the police,” said Kaunda.
The inhumane killing of the rapper on a popular nightlife street will have an impact on Durban’s hottest night spots – an image that the municipality and its partners have worked hard over the years to build, he said.
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government said it was confident police would soon apprehend the killer.
KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Sipho Hlomuka said highly qualified teams of investigators had been assigned to the case.
Hlomuka said provincial authorities would improve police visibility and work with eThekwini metro police and other security structures to protect city residents, including restaurant patrons.
Private investigator Brad Nathanson said hiring a hit man was too easy because there was no consequence for them. Nathanson said hit men do not fear the law and very seldom are there arrests or convictions for the majority of murders in the country.
“For them to pull the trigger outside a well-policed area and opposite a satellite police station showed they did not fear the law. Hit men are easy to buy because of the high unemployment rate. We also have a problem with people crossing the borders. They are invisible and hard to trace. They come here to make money and when they don’t they can easily be persuaded to kill someone.”
On Sunday evening fans paid tribute to AKA and Motsoane outside Wish restaurant by placing flowers there and lighting candles.
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