An expert from the KwaZulu-Natal Criminal Records Centre told the Durban High Court that fingerprints belonging to one of the accused in the murder trial of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes were found on a vehicle linked to the killing of a taxi boss.
Lieutenant-Colonel Nathaniel Zechariah testified that fingerprints lifted from the rear passenger door of a Toyota Etios matched those of accused No 3, Siyanda Myeza, 23.
The evidence relates to the Mayville shooting of taxi boss Gift Khanyile in 2022. Khanyile was allegedly shot at a petrol station while travelling in a Toyota Hilux.
People accompanying him reportedly returned fire at the attackers in a Toyota Etios, killing the driver. The gunmen abandoned the Etios and fled on foot.
Zechariah said fingerprints recovered from the vehicle matched Myeza’s.
“I have no doubt that the fingerprints found in the Toyota Etios are those of accused No 3 in the dock,” Zechariah said.
Defence challenges significance of fingerprints
Defence counsel Advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa challenged the significance of the fingerprint evidence. He told the court that Myeza had worked at a car wash in 2022, which could explain why his fingerprints might be found on a number of vehicles.
The defence’s argument was that the presence of fingerprints in a vehicle did not, by itself, establish when they were deposited or prove that Myeza was involved in the Mayville shooting.
The court will have to consider the expert’s identification of the prints alongside the location of the marks, the vehicle’s history, other forensic evidence and the State’s broader case.
A fingerprint match does not automatically prove that a person was present at the time a crime occurred. Investigators and the court must also determine how the prints came to be on the vehicle and whether that evidence connects the accused to the alleged offence.
Evidence forms part of wider murder case
Myeza and six other men are on trial for the murder of Forbes and his friend, celebrity chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane. They have pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, attempted murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The other accused are Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, 30; Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, 35; Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni, 36; Lindokuhle Mhlaliseni Ndimande, 29; Malusi Dave, 30; and Siyabonga Gezani Ndimande, 31.
The State alleges that the accused were involved in the shooting of Forbes and Motsoane in Durban in February 2023. The accused have denied the charges.
The evidence about the Toyota Etios relates to the earlier Mayville shooting and is being presented as part of the State’s case against Myeza. The relevance of that evidence to the Forbes and Motsoane murders will be determined during the trial.
Court must assess full context
The prosecution will need to present evidence connecting the accused not only to the vehicle, but also to the alleged crimes with which he is charged.
The defence is expected to challenge the reliability, timing and significance of the fingerprint evidence. It may also question how the prints were lifted, preserved and compared, as well as whether the accused’s employment at a car wash provided an innocent explanation for their presence.
The forensic testimony is one part of a larger trial involving multiple accused, several charges and evidence from different investigations. The fingerprint evidence does not amount to a conviction, and Myeza remains presumed innocent until the court reaches a verdict.
The trial continues.