CCTV Footage Shows Man Resembling Accused Following AKA at King Shaka Airport Before Murder

Nomfundo Khumalo Published 15 hours ago

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CCTV footage showing a man resembling one of the accused in the murders of South African rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane was presented in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban on Monday, 19 October 2026.

The footage, recorded at King Shaka International Airport on the day the two men were killed, became the subject of a dispute between the State and the defence as the trial of seven accused men continued.

CCTV Footage Presented in Court

Airport surveillance analyst Sandile Khuzwayo testified about footage showing Forbes at King Shaka International Airport after arriving in Durban on 10 February 2023.

The footage showed a man who appeared to follow Forbes and his entourage through parts of the airport. The individual was seen in the same areas as the rapper and later appeared near car rental facilities.

The man was captured moving around the Budget, Avis and Europcar rental areas. At one point, he appeared to turn back towards the rental vehicles before moving through the area again.

The footage also showed the man standing near the entrance of a car rental facility while Forbes was inside. After the rapper left, the individual appeared to move in the direction of the parking area.

The State alleges that the man seen in the footage resembles fourth accused Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni. However, the footage presented in court did not, by itself, establish the man’s identity.

During earlier bail proceedings, the State had referred to CCTV footage that it said showed Gwabeni following Forbes at the airport.

The footage is part of the evidence being examined in the trial to establish the movements of people allegedly connected to the case on the day of the killings.

Defence Questions Identification and Testimony

Khuzwayo, who testified that he had worked at King Shaka International Airport for more than 15 years, explained the airport’s surveillance system and the process followed to present the recordings in court.

The defence challenged the evidence, with advocate William Nicholson SC questioning whether the witness was in a position to identify the person shown in the footage.

Nicholson represented Gwabeni and argued that the individual could not be conclusively identified through the surveillance analyst’s testimony.

The court was also shown still images extracted from the video recordings.

Khuzwayo explained that the airport generally did not allow surveillance footage to be shared with third parties because of restrictions relating to its surveillance system and the airport’s status as a national key point. The footage was made available for the court proceedings after the investigating officer approached the airport.

The defence also questioned whether the witness was breaching company policy by presenting the footage and asked whether he had been subpoenaed to testify. Khuzwayo said he was unaware of that, explaining that he was an employee.

During questioning about the footage, Khuzwayo was asked to identify the person wearing a purple jacket. He identified the person as Forbes but acknowledged that he did not know the rapper’s eye colour.

The testimony and the interpretation of the footage remain matters for the court to consider alongside the other evidence presented during the trial.

Alleged Movements After Arrival in Durban

The airport footage forms part of the broader case concerning the movements of Forbes and people allegedly linked to his killing before the shooting in Durban.

The State has previously alleged that Gwabeni followed Forbes and his entourage from King Shaka International Airport towards the Hilton Hotel in Umhlanga, where they were staying.

Evidence previously presented during the proceedings also concerned a grey BMW allegedly used to follow Forbes from the airport to his hotel and eventually to Florida Road. A witness testified that the vehicle belonged to Gwabeni.

The State is seeking to establish the sequence of events leading to the killings, including the movements of the people involved and the possible links between the accused and the victims before the shooting.

The defence disputes aspects of the State’s case, and the allegations against the accused have not been established as proven facts.

Ballistics Evidence Also Heard

The court also heard evidence from ballistics expert Ruwain Kader on Monday regarding firearms and cartridge cases allegedly connected to the murders.

Kader testified that one of the firearms believed to have been used in the killings of Forbes and Motsoane might be linked to other criminal cases in Durban.

According to his testimony, a firearm used in the 2022 murder of Durban taxi boss Gift Khanyile in Mayville was also linked to the 2023 killings of Forbes and Motsoane.

Six cartridge cases were recovered from the scene where Forbes and Motsoane were shot. Kader testified that two of those cartridge cases were linked to a firearm allegedly found on accused number three, Siyanda Eddie Myeza.

However, Kader said the firearm associated with those two cartridge cases was not linked to the Mayville murder.

The expert further testified that four cartridge cases connected to the AKA murder investigation were believed to have been fired from two unidentified firearms that had also been used in Khanyile’s killing.

The defence disputed the circumstances surrounding the firearm allegedly found on Myeza. Advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa said Myeza denied that the firearm had been found on him during his arrest, maintaining that it had been discovered in a room where he was with six other men.

The ballistics evidence is being examined as part of the State’s efforts to establish possible links between the firearms, cartridge cases and separate criminal investigations.

Seven Men Face Charges

Forbes and Motsoane were shot dead outside Wish restaurant on Florida Road in Durban on 10 February 2023.

The seven men standing trial are Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, Siyanda Eddie Myeza, Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni, Lindokuhle Mhlaliseni Ndimande, Malusi Dave and Siyabonga Gezani Ndimande.

They have pleaded not guilty to charges that include murder, attempted murder and the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

The trial is examining several strands of evidence, including surveillance footage, witness testimony and ballistics findings, as the State seeks to establish its case against the accused.

Khuzwayo’s testimony was scheduled to continue on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.

A surveillance analyst from King Shaka International Airport testified in the AKA and Tibz murder trial, showing footage of a person who allegedly followed rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes from the airport the same day the rapper was later shot and killed https://t.co/8scAFGbwGu
— News Live SA (@newslivesa) October 19, 2026

The court will ultimately have to assess the evidence presented by both the prosecution and the defence before determining whether the charges against any of the accused have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt.