In South Africa, witness in rapper AKA murder case reports death threats — TimesLIVE
In South Africa, a CCTV analyst at King Shaka International Airport reported death threats after testifying in the trial over the murder of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane. TimesLIVE reports that the witness told the prosecution he feared for his life because of threatening messages from unknown individuals.
The day before, the analyst had described footage of AKA’s arrival at the airport. According to him, the footage showed an unidentified man approaching the rapper who resembled one of the seven accused. During the hearing, he was also asked whether proper procedures had been followed when police accessed the recordings.
Protection of witnesses’ identities
Prosecutor Elvis Gcweka urged the media to report on the testimony cautiously. He told the court that after the airport employee’s face was published, the man complained about threatening messages.
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At the start of the trial, Judge Nompumelelo Sipunzi barred the media from disclosing witnesses’ identities, but later lifted the general ban. She ruled that the identification of each witness would be considered individually before they gave testimony. According to Gcweka, two witnesses asked for their faces not to be shown in the media because they feared for their lives.
Testimony about the shooting and the car
One witness told the court that he had dinner with AKA and his entourage at the Wish restaurant on Florida Road on the day of the murder. He said that during the shooting, he heard a loud sound resembling fireworks, after which people ran into the restaurant. The witness stated that Tibz fell, and when he returned to him, Tibz said he was having difficulty breathing. The witness noticed a chest wound and blood; those present tried to cover the wound with a towel until an ambulance arrived.
Another witness testified about a Hyundai Grand i10 that he had rented to the fourth accused. According to the prosecution, the car was used to flee Florida Road after AKA’s murder. The accused confirmed that he had rented cars from this witness. The seven accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, including murder, attempted murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. The next hearing was due to take place behind closed doors to view approximately three hours of video footage.
