Lynn Forbes Shares Her Response to Viewing AKA’s Murder Footage During Madlanga Commission Broadcast. Lynn Forbes, the mother of the late South African rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, described a painful experience when she unexpectedly encountered footage of her son’s murder while watching the Madlanga Commission highlights.
Lynn Forbes Shares Her Response to Viewing AKA’s Murder Footage During Madlanga Commission BroadcastForbes recalled her intent to watch the commission, which focuses on crime and corruption within South Africa’s justice system. Like many others following the significant hearings, she tuned in for highlights until a witness began to give a graphic account.
“They said, if you are a sensitive viewer, you must turn off. They said they are going to screen a murder,” Forbes shared with host L-Tido. She believed she could manage it, stating, “I’m not sensitive. I can probably deal with it.” As she continued to listen, what unfolded next was devastating: the video of her son’s murder outside a Durban restaurant in February 2023.
“I was watching my child being shot on TV,” she explained, her voice revealing the weight of her shock. Forbes had avoided the widely circulated footage of AKA’s murder. Previously, she confided in L-Tido that she had never mustered the courage to watch it. After Kiernan’s passing, she shared a poignant dream in which her son encouraged her: “Mom, you should watch the video, it’s not that bad, you know.”
When she eventually viewed it in private, the ordeal was deeply distressing yet offered her a bit of clarity. “It was really difficult to watch. But for me, it was like, did he die instantly? I just needed to know it was quick.” From her perspective, it appeared that the end had come swiftly, which was a relief to her as a mother trying to make sense of her loss.
However, nothing had prepared her for the commission’s broadcast. The footage was shown from a different angle during the testimony, catching her completely off guard. “I promise you, it was the last thing I expected to see while watching the Madlanga Commission,” she said. “It was just the whole shooting. I was traumatised. I screamed, and I was in tears.”
Lynn Forbes described the overwhelming emotions she felt: grief surged, cries echoed throughout her home, and tears flowed. Remarkably, she expressed that she regained her composure soon after, though the shock remained. “It was very traumatising, and I was wondering. I wish they said they are gonna show the AKA murder, then probably I wouldn’t have watched it.”
Her experience resonates with the complaints made by AKA’s father, Tony Forbes, who lodged a formal grievance with the commission after the footage was shown during Sergeant Fannie Nkosi’s testimony. Critics, the family included, have raised concerns over the necessity of displaying the graphic clip during the proceedings, suggesting that less graphic options, like still images, could have been used.
The Madlanga Commission, overseen by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, continues to investigate ongoing challenges in law enforcement and justice. For the Forbes family, these sessions represent another painful moment in their pursuit of answers and accountability regarding Kiernan’s unresolved murder, which also took the life of his friend, celebrity chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane.
In the podcast, Lynn Forbes’s reflections provide a mother’s heartfelt account, highlighting not just the void left after her son’s death but also the strength needed to confront a world that may suddenly evoke memories of profound loss.
