AKA Trial Witness Describes Tibz Collapsing While Fleeing Gunfire

AKA‘s murder trial heard how a witness ran beside Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane as they fled gunfire, saw him fall and tried to get emergency help.

The witness told the Durban High Court on Wednesday, October 14, that he initially thought AKA had made it inside Wish restaurant. When he looked around and could not find the rapper, he went back outside and found him on the ground.

“He fell, and that is when I realized that he got shot,” the witness said of Motsoane, The Mercury reported.

The two victims had been embracing outside the restaurant when the shooting started. The witness said he was behind them, heard a loud noise and then several more shots before turning back toward the building with Motsoane alongside him.

He described repeated attempts to reach police and call an ambulance. He estimated it took about 10 minutes to reach police, who arrived about 15 minutes later. By the time officers reached the scene, he said, Motsoane had also died.

Defense lawyer Simphiwe Mlotshwa questioned the witness about whether any shots had been aimed at him. The exchange concerned an attempted-murder count in the case, which also covers the deaths of AKA and Motsoane.

“As you heard the shots, do you know or do you not know if there were any shots directed at you?” Mlotshwa asked, Eyewitness News reported.

The witness said he could not make sense of what was happening in the moment. He recalled sparks to his right and said the group ducked left into the restaurant.

Prosecutors also asked where AKA’s bodyguard had been. The witness said he last saw him before the shooting and could not say where he went afterward.

“I have no idea where he was; I did not see him anywhere,” he said, SABC News reported.

A second witness described Motsoane pushing himself against a wall to sit up despite his wounds, while people around the two men became distraught.

AKA, born Kiernan Forbes, and Motsoane were killed outside Wish on Durban’s Florida Road on February 10, 2023. Wednesday’s accounts followed earlier testimony about the shooting, but came from different witnesses.

Seven defendants pleaded not guilty when the trial opened on October 5. They face charges including conspiracy to commit murder, two murders, attempted murder and firearm offenses. The trial continued Wednesday.