Five men accused in AKA and Tibz Murder case face pre-trial at the Durban High Court on 13 August. Image: Sphamandla Dlamini/EWN.
(The Post News)– The five men accused of murdering rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane in an alleged hit appear at the Durban High Court this Wednesday for a pre-trial conference.
In February 2023, unknown gunmen shot AKA and Tibz in front of Durban’s popular restaurant and entertainment hub on Florida Road. Witnesses and CCTV captured the attack, and the footage quickly went viral.
Police quickly traced one suspect with a transfer of R800,000. Subsequently, five men were arrested in connection to the case after it was discovered that R665,000 from the initial transfer had been distributed to them.
Police suspected Mziwethemba Gwabeni of masterminding the hit after they found him with the initial transfer. Other suspects appearing in court are Lindokuhle Mkhwanazi, Lindani Ndimande, Siyanda Myeza, Mziwethemba Gwabeni, and Lindokuhle Ndimande.
The state charged the accused with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Except for Gwabeni, officials have also charged the other suspects with money laundering. They have remained in police custody and have been denied bail.
Nearly two years later, the state’s unpreparedness this July resulted in a postponement of the pre-trial to August 13, 2025. Following this, Presiding Judge Jacqueline Henriques openly reprimanded prosecutors, urging them to “get their house in order.”
The comment followed the state’s failure to deliver several key documents requested by the court. This included some ballistic results, CCTV footage evidence, bank statements of the accused, and affidavits of 45 witnesses. Additionally, the court has now barred the media from recording or broadcasting the proceedings.
Today’s pre-trial will decide the next steps in the case and whether the state and defense have resolved outstanding issues before setting a trial date. The court initially scheduled the high-profile trial for 2026.
Please share your thoughts; contact Lukhona via email: journalist-lukhona@thepostnews.net.
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