Ongoing

  1. ElectionsHot
  2. US mid-termsHeating up
  3. AICooling
NewsbriefSouth Africa, briefly.
JoburgJHB25°100%CTCT28°13°PretoriaPTA28°100%DurbanDBN18°100%

AKA and Tibz murder trial resumes with bank payments in focus

Published

The trial of the suspects accused of murdering rapper Kiernan "AKA" Forbes and chef Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane resumes on Thursday after a postponement on Tuesday. The state is examining payments into one suspect's bank account in February 2023.

A state witness from FNB was on the stand when the trial was postponed on Tuesday. The state is focusing on a payment into the account of suspect Mziwethemba Gwabeni on 11 February 2023. The amount is given as more than R800,00, a figure that looks like a typing error.

The FNB employee confirmed that the payments came from Bright Circle Pty Ltd. The company is based in Umhlanga and belongs to Durban taxi boss Mfundo Gcaba.

The state claims that Gwabeni transferred dividends to his six other co-accused after he received the money.

Key facts

Who
Tebello Motsoane (chef, murder victim (known as Tibz)); Mziwethemba Gwabeni (suspect in the murder case); mfundo gcaba (Durban taxi boss, owner of Bright Circle Pty Ltd); Bright Circle Pty Ltd (Umhlanga-based company whose payments are under scrutiny)
What
The trial of suspects in the murder of AKA and Tibz is set to resume on Thursday after a Tuesday postponement, when a state witness from FNB was on the stand. The state is focusing on more than R800,00 paid into suspect Mziwethemba Gwabeni's account on 11 February 2023, and an FNB employee confirmed the payments were made from Bright Circle Pty Ltd, an Umhlanga-based company owned by Durban taxi…
When
5 November 2026
Where
Durban, Umhlanga
Status
Reported

Related stories

Elections Hot

What you need to know

The Electoral Commission (IEC) will announce the final 2026 local election results on Sunday evening, with more than 100 municipal councils hung. In Mpumalanga, the ANC's support fell to 43.6%, which reports describe as its lowest ever, and it lost Victor Khanye and Mbombela.

Before that, the IEC said objections would not delay results, with 197 received and 54 dismissed. Some parties dispute the count: the ANC in Sedibeng is preparing an Electoral Court challenge over the Vaal voters' roll, and the MK Party may go to court over Ethekwini.

Coalition talks come next, and the SACP says it will set strict conditions before it backs the ANC in hung councils.

  1. Ramaphosa urges parties to form councils without delay
  2. DA wins 91 seats in Johannesburg council, short of control
  3. IEC announces official local election results in Midrand

See every update

US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

The US justice department dropped its bid to stop California counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 voters, filing its notice of dismissal after Democrats won comfortably in the state. Earlier, Democrats won both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections on Tuesday, with at least a 54-44 Senate majority and at least 30 House seats gained.

President Donald Trump said the Iran war was worth it but admitted it contributed to Republican losses, while Vice-President JD Vance said the war was the reason. Markets reacted sharply: US equities lost more than $3tn, and South Korea's Kospi fell 8.5%, while Trump blamed the Democratic win and analysts pointed to worries about AI investment.

In South Africa, the JSE rose almost 5%, and senior US Democrats urged talks over the removal of AGOA trade preferences, which takes effect on 1 January 2027.

  1. Podcast says US midterms leave Musk and data centres exposed
  2. US justice department drops California mail-in ballot lawsuit
  3. US planning commission approves Trump's 76m triumphal arch

See every update

AI Cooling

What you need to know

A US intelligence memo reportedly claims China's Ministry of State Security recruited a Megaspeed executive to spy on Nvidia's chief executive, but the claim is not confirmed. Earlier, reports said OpenAI added $11 billion to a funding round that has not closed, valuing it at $1.25 trillion.

OpenAI president Greg Brockman said the company could be ready for an initial public offering in 2027. Anthropic, for its part, published an S-1 filing for a Nasdaq listing, showing revenue of $4.6bn in 2025 and a net loss of $80.7bn in the first half of 2026.

Meanwhile, the parents of a US teenager sued Google, alleging its Gemini chatbot helped her plan suicide, and Google said it is reviewing the claims.

  1. US memo claims China recruited executive to spy on Nvidia chief
  2. OpenAI reportedly raises $11 billion more at $1.25 trillion value
  3. Parents sue Google over Gemini chatbot and daughter's suicide plan

See every update