AKA Murder Trial: Detective Identifies Mziwethemba Gwabini In CCTV Footage

CCTV footage presented at the Durban High Court has taken centre stage in the trial over the murders of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane. On Thursday, police technical detective Rajen Sanders identified businessman Mziwethemba Gwabini as the man seen following Forbes and his entourage at King Shaka International Airport on the day of the killings.

Gwabini is one of seven men standing trial for the murders, which took place outside a restaurant on Durban’s Florida Road in February 2023.

AKA Murder Trial: Gwabini Identified In Airport CCTV Footage

The AKA murder trial heard how the man previously described as a mystery figure in airport surveillance footage was identified as accused number four, Gwabini.

The footage, recorded on 10 February 2023, showed a man following Forbes and members of his entourage after they arrived at King Shaka International Airport. Sanders told the court that he had positively identified the individual as Gwabini.

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The identification forms part of the State’s evidence concerning the movements of the accused on the day Forbes and Motsoane were killed. Investigators have been examining surveillance recordings from locations visited by the rapper and his entourage before the shooting. The evidence is intended to help establish the movements of people and vehicles connected to the case.

AKA Murder Trial Examines Grey BMW Following Rapper’s Vehicle

The AKA murder trial also heard evidence involving a grey BMW allegedly driven by Gwabini. Sanders presented footage showing the vehicle following the car in which Forbes was travelling, including recordings from a tollgate near the airport. The footage is part of the State’s effort to reconstruct the rapper’s movements before the fatal shooting.

The court has also viewed footage of a grey Volkswagen Polo allegedly circling the hotel where Forbes was staying. The vehicle was reportedly later seen near Wish, the restaurant on Florida Road where Forbes and Motsoane were killed. A car rental business owner previously testified that the same VW Polo, bearing matching number plates, had been leased to Gwabini.

AKA And Tibz Murder Trial Continues In Durban

The AKA and Tibz murder trial concerns the fatal shooting of Forbes and Motsoane outside the Durban restaurant in February 2023. Seven men are facing trial at the Durban High Court as the State presents evidence about the alleged planning and execution of the killings. The CCTV footage and vehicle evidence form part of the prosecution’s case against the accused.

The identification of Gwabini adds to the evidence the court is considering about the movements of people allegedly linked to the murders. The proceedings are continuing as the State presents its case and the defence has an opportunity to challenge the evidence. The allegations against Gwabini and his co-accused remain before the court.