Five men implicated in the murder of rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes and his friend Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane will remain in the tjoekie after their bail was denied.
Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, Siyanda Eddie Myeza, businessman Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni and Lindokuhle Lindo Ndimande appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
AKA was gunned down outside the Wish restaurant on Durban’s Florida Road on February 10, 2023. Tibz was fatally wounded in the crossfire.
The suspects were arrested following an intense police investigation spanning a year.
In February this year, police top brass confirmed that seven suspects had been arrested in connection with the murders.
At the time, KwaZulu-Natal SAPS commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi explained that the first suspect was arrested in April last year.
Police at the time dismissed the reports, but they have since explained they did not want to compromise their investigation.
According to the state, Gwabeni, the alleged mastermind, received R803 455 through his company Gwabs Mining, which he allegedly distributed among the co-accused after Forbes was killed.
Meanwhile, two more suspects, Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande, arrested in Eswatini in connection with the murders, remain in custody.
The brothers, who are also related to Lindani and Lindokuhle Ndimande, appeared in the Manzini Magistrate’s Court in Eswatini on Tuesday.
The matter has been remanded to June 14 for arguments.
An additional affidavit has been filed by the National Director of Public Prosecutions for the case to be treated with urgency.