The long-running trial into the murders of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane has moved into a crucial phase, with firearm and ballistic evidence taking centre stage in the Durban High Court.
The State alleges that a firearm seized from accused Siyanda Eddie Myeza could provide an important link between him and the February 2023 killings.
Myeza is one of seven men facing charges over the deaths of AKA and Tibz, who were shot outside the former Wish restaurant on Durban’s Florida Road.
The accused have all pleaded not guilty.
State alleges firearm connects Myeza to killings
According to the prosecution, police initially arrested Myeza on an unlawful firearm possession charge.
Investigators allegedly later established a connection between the seized weapon and the shooting that claimed the lives of AKA and Tibz.
The State’s case is that ballistic evidence links the firearm to the Durban murders.
Prosecutors also allege that the same weapon is connected to a separate shooting in Mayville in 2022.
That case involves the killing of Gift Khanyile and the alleged attempted murder of two other people.
Myeza faces additional charges arising from that incident, including murder, attempted murder and vehicle theft.
Dispute over combining the cases
The Mayville matter has been incorporated into the broader AKA murder proceedings, but several accused are now challenging that decision.
Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi has brought an application on behalf of himself and five other accused seeking to have the Mayville charges separated from the main murder trial.
Their argument is that the additional charges primarily concern Myeza and that allowing the related evidence into the main proceedings could unnecessarily extend the trial and increase the legal costs faced by the other accused.
The State is opposing the application.
Senior prosecutor Elvis Gcweka has argued that the two matters are connected through witnesses, ballistic evidence and the firearm allegedly recovered from Myeza.
The court must therefore determine whether the Mayville charges should remain part of the wider proceedings.
Seven accused deny charges
The seven accused have pleaded not guilty to the charges relating to the deaths of AKA and Tibz.
The charges include conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of murder, attempted murder and various firearm-related offences.
AKA and Tibz were shot dead outside the Durban restaurant on 10 February 2023.
Police have previously maintained that AKA was the intended target.
As the trial continues, the alleged firearm link could become a significant part of the State’s case. However, the allegations remain to be tested in court, and the accused are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The Durban High Court proceedings are continuing.
