Was the gun on his waist or under a sofa? That question sat at the centre of Monday’s session in the AKA murder trial, where a retired police officer told the Durban High Court he personally pulled a firearm off accused Siyanda Eddie Myeza. Myeza, through his lawyer, says that never happened.
According to SABC News, the officer identified Myeza in court and said he searched him and found a gun with its serial number removed. He also confirmed Myeza was injured during the arrest, backing up an account the court heard earlier in the trial.
Myeza’s defence pushed back hard. Eyewitness News reported that he challenged the claim that the weapon was at his waist, insisting police found it under a sofa instead.
The two sides also clashed over how many people were picked up that night. “Seven people were arrested on that night for the two firearms,” defence lawyer Simphiwe Mlotshwa said, while the officer stuck to his version that only two were arrested.
That exchange built on a fight that started last week over the search itself. Myeza’s lawyers grilled police about the lack of a search warrant, and an officer responded that the team believed the suspect was armed and that waiting for paperwork would have stalled an urgent operation.
The stakes around this particular gun are high. Prosecutors allege it was one of two weapons used when AKA, born Kiernan Forbes, and his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane were shot dead outside a restaurant on Durban’s Florida Road on February 10, 2023.
The state also claims a ballistic link to the 2022 killing of taxi boss Gift Khanyile. Those cases are being handled separately, though, and last week Judge Nomfundo Sipunzi ordered Myeza to face six additional counts tied to that earlier case in a different trial.
For now he remains one of seven accused in the AKA and Tibz case. All seven pleaded not guilty when proceedings opened on October 5.
Monday itself was a rough day for the court calendar. A power outage and a broken lift used to move prisoners ate up three hours, so the session started at 12:30 P.M. instead of 9:30 A.M. before the fifth prosecution witness took the stand.
Anyone following the case closely will notice the coverage is light on names. Sipunzi adjusted an earlier directive last week so media can now report what witnesses say, but their identities and personal details remain protected.
For fans still processing the loss of one of South African hip hop’s biggest voices, the pace may feel slow. This first session runs until November 6, with another block already pencilled in for April 2027.
The retired officer wrapped up his testimony on Monday. The next witness was expected on the stand on Tuesday, October 13, and the battle over that sofa is far from settled.
