It was a fitting goodbye, full of positive stories and touching tributes.
Celebrity chef, entrepreneur and former artist manager Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane, who passed away in a fatal shooting on 10 February 2023 in Durban, which also claimed the life of rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes, is a man that will be hard to forget, everyone agreed.
Tibz was honoured in a memorial service held at his former school, Sacred Heart College in Observatory, Johannesburg, on 16 February 2022 with his family, friends, industry acquaintances and supporters in attendance. This included members of the AKA’s family along with Nadia Nakai.
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The service was directed and MC’d by Sacred Heart College alumnus and Tibz’s schoolmate Tebogo Moalusi and began with a moment of silence, followed by a standing ovation dedicated to both Tibz and AKA.
Tibz’s former Biology teacher, Mrs Heather Blanckensee, as well as school friends Zoya Sisulu, Michael Cross and Ruli Diseko shared touching tributes.
“Tebello was this incredible gentle giant. He had the ability to just make people feel welcome… He made a difference to his friends by just being that gentle giant. He made a difference on that basketball court. He made a difference in our lives here at Sacred Heart because in his own gentle, caring, considerate way, has impacted on all of our lives”, said Mrs Heather.
Tibz was also described as a “game changer” and avid basketball fan - parallels were often made between the rules of the sport and the game of life, stating that he was always ahead of his time.
Sacred Heart College basketball coach Roger King explains the profound impact basketball had on Tibz.
“Tebello was the glue that kept this team together in good times, and when we were looking like losing,” he said.
Tribute videos from some of his oldest and closest friends and montages of Tibz in his everyday life played between the speakers taking to the stage, showcasing the relationships he cultivated throughout the years.
His cousin Stephen Kitledi reminisced about heartwarming memories shared with Tibz, rousing laughter and tears from those present.
“Thank you, guys, for showing Tibz love”, Stephen concluded.
READ MORE | In the kitchen with Tibz | He shares his earliest food memory and a lamb recipe you won’t regret
The solemn occasion saw tributes from those closest to him in the entertainment and food and wine industries, including entertainment industry acquaintance Bradley Williams and well-known chef Wandile Mabaso.
Having met in 2018, Chef Wandile talked about his apprenticeship and friendship with Tibz.
“He came to me, and he said if I could teach him how to cook, he could teach me how to be cool and appeal to the media and to the market, and I think that day when we spoke Chef Tibz was actually born... Thank you for inspiring us and I’ll make sure everything lives on through myself and my colleagues in the industry. Rest in peace,” Chef Wandile said.
Reminiscing about Tibz’s early adulthood, his friends credit his transition to fine dining and becoming Chef Tibz to the many brunches he hosted at the trendy restaurant La Créatifs – owned by Chef Wandile – in Bryanston.
The conclusion of the service heard the announcement of the establishment of a food technology laboratory at Sacred Heart College in Tibz’s memory.
See more from the chef's memorial service:
A private ceremony was held by the Motsoane family to lay the chef to rest.
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