AKA MURDER TRIAL: 7 accused. All pleaded NOT GUILTY. A tail from King Shaka airport. A Wish restaurant sighting. 2 shell casings. A gun linked to FIVE other cases. Witnesses getting threats. This is where the case is RIGHT NOW ..; and the CCTV detail is wild.
The trial is at the Durban High Court. It began 5 Oct 2026 and is expected to run to at least 6 Nov 2026 ..; with talk it could be finalised only by 2028. Seven men face two murder counts, attempted murder, conspiracy and firearm charges. All are in custody. The Ndimande brothers were extradited from eSwatini after a long fight.
The State’s CCTV evidence is the centrepiece. A technical detective identified accused 4, Mziwethemba Gwabeni, as the man who allegedly followed AKA from King Shaka International Airport ..; and was later linked to a grey BMW and a grey VW Polo. He also identified accused 5, Mhlaliseni Ndimande, as the man seen following AKA inside the Wish restaurant shortly before the shooting. Footage also showed a second suspect at the AuthentiQ bar.
Ballistics: two cartridge cases found at the scene matched a firearm linked to accused Siyanda Eddie Myeza. The other four casings were from an unknown weapon. That same firearm has reportedly been linked to five other cases ..; including the 2022 murder of taxi owner Gift Khanyile.
Fingerprints: an analyst testified that Myeza’s fingerprints were found in a Toyota Etios connected to the Khanyile murder. The defence argued they could have been left during his work at a car wash.
Witness safety is now a major issue. A surveillance analyst testified that he received threats after testifying. The State has sought protection for witnesses, and some have asked that their faces not be shown on TV because they fear for their safety.
The delays have been huge: extradition battles, postponements, and a trial date that moved from May 2025 to October 2026. The case is moving ..; but slowly.
Bottom line: the State is building a CCTV + ballistics + forensic chain. The defence is challenging how those links hold up. The question now: will the evidence stick under cross-examination? This is far from over.