The trial of five out of the seven men accused of the murder of South African rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes and his friend Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane was postponed in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
The accused, namely Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, Lindani Ndimande, Eddie Myeza, Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni, and Lindokuhle Ndimande, face a total of 10 charges, including murder and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
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During their brief appearance, the case was postponed to March 6. Two of the accused were arrested in Eswatini and have not yet been extradited. The State confirmed that the extradition process has commenced, but no specific timeline was provided for their return to South Africa.
In court, the magistrate questioned the accused about why they covered their faces, reminding them that they were in an open court. Notably, AKA’s father, Tony Forbes, and Police Minister Bheki Cele were present during the proceedings.
The investigation into AKA’s murder has revealed that a “coordinator,” who allegedly hired the individuals involved and handled the payments, surrendered himself to the police earlier this week.
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, along with Police Minister Cele, recently disclosed that they had withheld certain details of the investigation until all the suspects were apprehended. They have not ruled out the possibility of further arrests.
According to the police, on the day of the incident, a spotter followed AKA from King Shaka International Airport to his hotel and then to the Wish Restaurant, where the tragic event took place. Another spotter was reportedly present inside the restaurant.
The trial proceedings will resume on March 6, and the State’s case against the accused will continue to unfold as more evidence is presented in court.
