6 October 2026 · Reporting checked against the current sources listed below.
The long-awaited murder trial arising from the killings of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane has formally opened in the Durban High Court, with all seven accused pleading not guilty.
Forbes and Motsoane were shot outside a restaurant on Durban’s Florida Road on 10 February 2023. The case has since moved through arrests, extradition proceedings and repeated pre-trial appearances before reaching a full trial more than three years later.
The accused face charges that include murder, attempted murder and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. Their pleas mean the State must now prove its case through evidence tested in open court; the charges remain allegations unless established beyond reasonable doubt.
Judge Nomfundo Sipunzi has barred live broadcasting of witness testimony, although the proceedings remain open to the public and media reporting. A further procedural issue is already before the court: six accused are seeking a separation of trials.
The trial is culturally significant beyond the courtroom. AKA was one of South Africa’s most prominent rap artists, and the killings became one of the country’s most closely followed criminal cases. The first trial phase is scheduled to run into early November, with a second phase set for 2027.
