The murder trial of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his close friend, celebrity chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, has moved into its evidence phase at the Durban High Court, with the State focusing on the alleged firearm used in the February 2023 killings.
The trial began on 5 October 2026, more than three years after Forbes and Motsoane were shot outside a restaurant on Durban’s Florida Road. Seven men are standing trial on charges relating to the killings. All have pleaded not guilty.
The current trial session is scheduled to continue until 6 November, with about 45 witnesses expected to testify. Further trial dates are expected to be arranged.
State’s case begins with firearm evidence
The first major evidence presented by the State concerns the alleged murder weapon.
A retired police officer, whose identity cannot be published, has testified about a separate shooting at a BP garage on Jan Smuts Highway in Mayville, Durban, in May 2022.
The court heard that 30 spent 9mm cartridges were recovered from that scene.
Police also recovered a white Toyota Etios a short distance away. Blood stains and fingerprints were allegedly collected from the vehicle, together with other exhibits.
The significance of this evidence is the State’s allegation that the firearm used during that 2022 shooting was subsequently linked through ballistic evidence to the February 2023 murders of AKA and Tibz.
State prosecutor Lawrence Gcaba told the court that the prosecution would lead evidence establishing the origins of the firearm.
“We will be leading evidence to show the originality of this firearm,” Gcaba said, explaining that the evidence would form part of the State’s case on the firearm charge and that further ballistic evidence would follow.
Mayville shooting separated from main trial
The firearm evidence has also been at the centre of an important procedural development.
One of the seven accused faces additional charges arising from the May 2022 shooting. Six of the accused applied for those matters to be separated from the main AKA and Tibz case.
The State opposed the separation, arguing that the cases had been connected because of evidence indicating that the same firearm was used in the separate incidents.
Judge Nomfundo Sipunzi nevertheless granted the application on 6 October.
The May 2022 charges will therefore be dealt with separately, while the main trial continues in relation to the charges arising from the deaths of Forbes and Motsoane. The judge said her reasons would be provided in the full judgment.
Importantly, although the Mayville matter is proceeding separately, evidence about the earlier shooting has now emerged during the main trial because of the alleged ballistic connection.
Court lifts restrictions on reporting evidence
There was also a significant change concerning media coverage of the proceedings.
At the beginning of the trial, Judge Sipunzi restricted journalists from publishing or broadcasting witness testimony as it was being given.
The restriction was subsequently amended on Wednesday, 7 October, allowing accredited media to report and broadcast witness evidence and exhibits admitted into the trial.
However, witnesses’ identities and personal details remain protected.
The change means the public can now receive more detailed reporting on the evidence being presented, although journalists must continue to comply with the court’s restrictions.
What the State still has to prove
The firearm evidence is only one part of the prosecution’s case.
The State ultimately has to establish beyond reasonable doubt how the alleged murder was planned, who was involved and what role each accused allegedly played in the killings.
The prosecution is expected to rely on a combination of forensic, ballistic, investigative and other evidence as witnesses are called.
The fact that a firearm may have been linked to multiple crimes does not, by itself, establish the guilt of any particular accused. Each allegation must be proved against the relevant individual in court.
The Florida Road killings
AKA and Tibz were shot on 10 February 2023 after leaving a restaurant on Florida Road in Durban.
Their deaths sparked widespread public shock and generated intense speculation about the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The investigation subsequently expanded beyond the immediate crime scene, with police examining alleged links between the killings and other violent incidents in KwaZulu-Natal.
The current trial is the culmination of that investigation.
Three years before the trial
The case has taken more than three years to reach trial.
A major factor was the prosecution of suspects who were outside South Africa, including two brothers who were extradited from Eswatini in 2025.
By June 2026, the National Prosecuting Authority confirmed that all seven accused were in custody and that the Durban High Court had set the trial down from 5 October to 6 November 2026.
The case had also gone through extensive pre-trial proceedings before all seven eventually appeared together in the High Court.
Families watch as evidence unfolds
The proceedings have drawn the families of both Forbes and Motsoane to court.
AKA’s mother, Lynn Forbes, and Tibz’s father, Sylvester Motsoane, have been among those attending proceedings as the State begins presenting its case.
For the families, the trial represents the formal examination of what happened on Florida Road on the night their loved ones were killed.
For the State, the immediate challenge is to turn years of investigation into admissible evidence capable of proving its case beyond reasonable doubt.
What happens next
The State is expected to continue calling witnesses, with ballistic and forensic evidence likely to remain an important part of the proceedings.
The prosecution has already signalled that the firearm evidence will involve more than the testimony heard so far. Further evidence is expected to explain how the weapon was allegedly traced and how ballistic analysis connects it to the Florida Road killings.
The trial continues in the Durban High Court, with the next phase expected to provide a clearer picture of the State’s case and the alleged chain of events leading to the deaths of AKA and Tibz.
