Family, friends, and industry colleagues gathered at Sacred Heart College in Observatory, Johannesburg on Thursday for the memorial service of entrepreneur, music enthusiast, and chef Tebello "Tibz' Motsoane who was gunned down on Florida Road in Durban with rapper Kiernan "AKA' Forbes last week Friday.
MEETING UP WITH AKA
The two old friends had not seen each other for some time and had linked up while in the city to catch up. CCTV footage which has made rounds on social media of the shooting shows the two being killed seconds after a long embrace and handshake. At his memorial service, friends, and colleagues spoke fondly and remember Tibz as a kind, gentle, stylish, and happy individual.
HIS LAST BREATH
Close friend to Tibz, Sthe Mabanga shared how the chef spent his last days on earth before they received the dreadful call about his death. The two had been in Durban for Sthe's 40th birthday weekend and Tibz went to meet up with AKA on Florida road when he was murdered. "Tibz flew to Durban to be with me on my birthday, that's why he was there. We spoke at about 6.30 pm, I was at Umhlanga. I said, 'Tibz come here, we are all having drinks here'. He said, 'no I have to see Kiernan'. He said, 'I'm going to go to Florida quick, I'm going to see the child (AKA) and then I'm going to come to you'. Sthe explains how his friend left for Florida alive but never returned. "I spoke to him again, probably about 9 pm. I called Aubrey, who was supposed to go meet him, and when Aubrey and I spoke I told him to 'come, we are in Umhlanga, Tibz is going to come and join us here, don't go to Florida'.' Sthe says Aubrey then took an Uber and he came. Minutes later, they saw the news of the two friends' death on social media. "It felt like the world had stopped, nothing made sense. We stopped everything we were doing and we drove to Florida.'
LOVE UNTIL THE END
Sthe says, some friends who were on Florida road when the shooting happened, covered the bodies of the two friends. "I send my appreciation to Ndu and Ntokozo from New Bars; as soon as the incident had taken place they were quite quick,' he says. "They covered Kiernan, and they looked after Tibz until we got there. We were with them the whole time until they were taken at about 3.30 am,' he adds. "That was an incredible experience, but it also showed me the bond the two of them had. It showed me the love they had. Tibz loved Kiernan, he loved him, and he always called him his child. Tibz ran his race and what an incredible race.' He says when Tibz passed, he was in a happy place, and he loved AKA. "Tibz was incredibly happy at this time of his life. His 30s in a lot of ways represented evolution, which often involves conflicts with people you love, it involves solitude, it involves growth and those that you love are sometimes used as a conduit, as a vessel for your growth,' he says.
