The case of five men accused of orchestrating a hit on rapper AKA, real name Kearnan Forbes, has been provisionally adjourned to next week for a formal bail application.
This came after the suspects’ initial court appearance on Thursday morning following their arrests by the police in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, which were revealed on Tuesday evening.
Among those present in court amid heavy police presence were AKA’s father, Tony Forbes, Police Minister Bheki Cele, and KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lietenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Although there are a total of seven suspects, only five appeared at the Durban magistrate’s court facing multiple criminal charges, including murder, attempted murder, and possession of firearms and ammunition.
Extradition process is under way
A process is under way to extradite the other two accused, who are incarcerated in the neighbouring Kingdom of Eswatini, with the aim of having them stand trial in South Africa.
Lindokuhle Mkhwanazi, regarded as the second shooter, Lindani Ndimande, Siyanda Myeza, Lindokuhle Ndimande, and alleged mastermind Mziwethemba Gwabeni appeared together before magistrate Vincent Hlatshwayo.
They entered the courtroom with their faces covered with masks. Later, during the proceedings, Hlatshwayo ordered them to remove the face masks.
The prosecutor, advocate Lawrence Gcaba, told the court that the state intended to oppose bail, hinting that the matter might take up to three months before it goes on trial.
“There are certain investigations that we need to conduct. Among them, we are finishing the analysis of the data we have obtained,” said Gcaba.
“Further to that, there are two accused who are in Eswatini. We are in the process of having them extradited.”
Killed outside the Wish restaurant
AKA and his friend, celebrity chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, were killed outside the popular Wish restaurant on Florida Road in Durban in 2023.
In a video that went viral immediately after the duo was shot dead on February 10, a man wearing a cap can be seen walking towards AKA and discharging a firearm at close range, killing him instantly.
Another gunman can also be seen firing randomly and striking Motsoane.
The Fela in Versace hitmaker was billed to perform at a famous nightclub, Hugo, later on the day of his death.
According to the evidence before the court, the much-acclaimed musician was spotted from the moment he landed at King Shaka International Airport.
He had been travelling with his entourage, which included his bodyguards, manager, DJ, and photographer.
Spotter tailed AKA from the airport
As the crew left the airport, a grey BMW that was used by one of the spotters is believed to have followed them all the way to the Hilton Hotel in uMhlanga.
A grey Polo with registration NUR 597728 was also seen as having passed the hotel; read the court papers in part.
Earlier this week, the Eswatini media broke the news of the arrests of siblings Siyabonga Nzimande and Malusi Nzimande.
They were allegedly arrested at a flat in Mbabane, the country’s capital.
A third suspect managed to flee, however, he was apprehended by KwaZulu-Natal police on Wednesday.
The pair, one of whom is said to have been a trigger man in AKA’s murder, is reputed to be accurate and a feared hitman in the taxi industry.
The siblings will appear in court in Eswatini on Tuesday to face a charge of entering the country illegally, even though their extradition process is currently under way.
