By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The trial of seven men accused of murdering rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes and his friend Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane began in the Durban High Court on Monday, 05 October 2926, with all of the accused pleading not guilty.
AKA and Tibz were shot dead outside a restaurant on Florida Road in Durban on 10 February 2023.
A month has been set aside for the trial. Further dates are expected to be set on 6 November 2026.
The accused face a string of charges including conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of murder, attempted murder and firearms and ammunition offences.
Their appearance before court on Monday was marred by delays.
The trial was due to begin at 9am; however, two of the accused had not arrived in court by the time proceedings were due to begin.
Accused numbers six and seven were still being transported from Westville Prison.
There were also problems with the lifts in the court building, where the matter is being heard in a regional courtroom on the 12th floor.
During the proceedings, the defense teams (specifically for accused Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni and Lindokuhle Mhlaliseni Ndimande) have applied to separate specific charges—such as an unrelated 2022 murder and firearm counts brought against co-accused Muziwethemba Mkhwanazi—to prevent prejudice and unnecessary delays.
State prosecutor Elvis Gcweka said the separation of trials application could not be heard at this stage.
“Therefore, we have to take a plea today. They can file their papers tomorrow. They can bring an application after the plea. If we follow what the section is saying and at what stage they can bring the application, there is nothing hindering us to put the charges to the accused,” Gcweka said.
Judge Nomfundo Sipunzi postponed the matter to Tuesday 6 October, when the court is expected to hear the application to split the trial and the reply affidavit.
Meanwhile AKA’s father, Tony Forbes, said he was ready for the trial but anxious about what he would hear as the State begins presenting its evidence.
“I am satisfied that the work has been done and that we are now moving forward,” he said.
Tibz’s father, Sylvester Motsoane, said he was feeling relaxed ahead of the trial and had accepted that he lost both his son and his mother in the same year. However, Motsoane said he had gone for a long period without receiving updates from police about the investigation into his son’s death.