AKA Murder Trial: Firearm Seized From Accused Could Be Key Evidence in Durban Case

• Prosecutors say a gun found in accused Siyanda Eddie Myeza's possession could link him to the 2023 murders of AKA and Tebello Motsoane
• The same firearm allegedly connects Myeza to a separate 2022 Mayville shooting involving murder and attempted murder charges
• Six of the seven accused are fighting to have the Mayville charges separated from the AKA murder trial

The AKA murder trial in the Durban High Court took a significant turn this week as prosecutors introduced firearm evidence they believe ties one of the accused directly to the killings of rapper Kiernan "AKA" Forbes and his friend Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane.

The State's case centres on a weapon recovered from accused Siyanda Eddie Myeza, who was initially arrested on an unlawful firearm possession charge. Investigators later allegedly connected that same gun to the fatal shooting outside the former Wish restaurant on Florida Road on 10 February 2023, which claimed the lives of both AKA and Tibz.

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Gun tied to second shooting

Prosecutors are not only leaning on the firearm's connection to the AKA murders. They contend the weapon also links Myeza to a 2022 shooting in the Durban suburb of Mayville, where Gift Khanyile was killed, and two others were injured. As a result, Myeza faces six additional charges from that incident, covering murder, attempted murder and vehicle theft.

The State consolidated the Mayville charges with the main AKA murder case, pointing to shared witnesses, ballistic findings and the firearm itself as the thread connecting both incidents. Senior prosecutor Elvis Gcweka argued this before the court, with the State firmly opposing any move to separate the matters.

Co-accused push to split the trial

The consolidation has not gone down well with the other men in the dock. Accused Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi brought a formal application on behalf of himself and five fellow accused, arguing that the Mayville charges concern Myeza alone. They contend that sitting through evidence unrelated to them would drag out proceedings unnecessarily and drive up their legal costs.

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The court must now rule on whether the Mayville charges remain part of the broader AKA murder trial. All seven accused entered not guilty pleas at the start of the long-awaited trial. They collectively face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of murder, attempted murder and various firearm-related offences. Police have consistently maintained that AKA was the primary target on the night of the shooting. The trial continues.

AKA and tibz case is currently underway

The long-awaited trial into the murders of rapper Kiernan 'AKA' Forbes and chef Tebello 'Tibz' Motsoane finally began in the Durban High Court.

Seven accused face charges including conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of murder, attempted murder, and firearms and ammunition offences.

Source: Briefly News