Staff Reporter
Bloemfontein – The forensic evidence in the ongoing trial of seven men accused of killing Kiernan Forbes, affectionately known as AKA, and his friend, Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, is proving to be a catalyst in the case.
While KwaZulu-Natal, under Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has led successful intelligence-driven operations in the past, the forensic evidence presented in court is something else.
Constable Rajen Saunders
Having collected no fewer than 20 pieces of video evidence from King Shaka International Airport to Hilton Hotel and Wish Restaurant, police technical detective Constable Rajen Saunders identified two of the accused in surveillance footage presented in court.
Saunders also identified a BMW and a VW Polo linked to the suspects. The VW was rented together with Hyundai.
Apart from the forensic evidence led by Saunders, a Cartrack expert corroborated his evidence by placing the Polo at Hilton Hotel in Umhlanga and on Florida Road.
Without forensic evidence and Cartrack tracking, the State would struggle to place and link the accused, as it is building its case around “acting in common purpose”, with others allegedly serving as spotters.
If this had happened in Bloemfontein, this case would be dead. Here is why.
City Hall
On 21 June 2017, Bloemfontein City Hall was torched, and to date, no arrests have been made.
Luzuko Ntlabezo
On 17 October 2024, a senior manager at MMM was murdered outside the regional offices.
No arrests have been made to date.
Ekhayeni Twins
Last week, the Ekhayeni Twins were gunned down in their vehicle at a lounge in Bochabela.
No arrests have been made.
STEPUPSANEWS has it on good authority that, out of 178 cameras in Mangaung, only 41 are fully functional.
Most of these 41 cameras are in town.
The only two cases where shooters were arrested and convicted the incidents were caught on camera.
Even robberies and hijacks are now captured on dashboard cameras.
Both Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu have no cameras at all, not even a single camera.
What is also disturbing is that public safety staff do not have vehicles.
On Saturday, during the 18:00–06:00 shifts, staff could not attend to complaints on time because there were no vehicles.
According to one resident who complained to SAPS, she was told to contact MMM.
“We are forever disturbed by noise pollution, and every time we call the municipality, we can’t get help.
“I called SAPS, and they referred me to MMM. I hung up because what’s the point?”
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