Extradited Suspects Face Charges as AKA Case Deepens

South Africa’s long-running search for justice in the murder of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes has entered a decisive new phase after brothers Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande were brought back from Eswatini to face charges.

The pair – who are accused of killing AKA and his close friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane in a 2023 shooting outside a restaurant in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) – arrived at King Shaka International Airport on Tuesday, 11 November, under heavy security before appearing in the Durban Magistrates’ Court.

Their return brings the number of suspects in custody to seven, following nationwide arrests linked to what police have described as being a planned hit.

Investigators are now turning their attention to the financial web behind the attack. KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi confirmed that detectives are analysing the business account of alleged organiser Mziwethemba Gwabeni to determine whether the ordered murder came from higher up.

“We are investigating further the linkages of his business account with other partners … to establish exactly who above him might have requested him to coordinate this operation,” Mkhwanazi said.

The case has been postponed to 25 November, with the financial probe expected to play a central role in uncovering the motive behind one of South Africa’s most shocking celebrity killings.

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