Five of the seven men accused of the murders of rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes and his friend Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane appeared in the Durban Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning, more than a year after the two were killed outside the Wish restaurant in Durban.
The two other suspects, who were arrested in Eswatini over the weekend, are awaiting the finalisation of their extradition to South Africa.
Also read: AKA’s killers were allegedly paid R800 000 for his murder
This comes after the police confirmed on Wednesday that they had arrested the seventh suspect in KwaZulu-Natal following the year-long investigation.
Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi (30), Lindani Zanele Ndimande (35), Siyanda Eddie Myeza (21), Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni (36) and Lindokuhle Lindo Ndimande (29) face two counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, as well as conspiracy to commit murder.
This is according to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.
The group of suspects who appeared for their bail application this morning is believed to include the ‘mastermind’ who planned, hired and paid suspects; two spotters, one who followed Forbes from the airport and another who was in the restaurant; two shooters seen in video footage of the incident; and a person who was tasked with hiring guns and vehicles.
However, Tony Forbes (AKA’s father) said he does not believe that the mastermind behind his son’s murder has been arrested, but he remains optimistically cautious following the arrest of the seven suspects.
Rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes’ father Tony Forbes says his gut feeling tells him that the true mastermind behind the murders of AKA and chef Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane has not been caught.
Watch: https://t.co/2uO9KZCjmb#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/u4o4wf5lCB
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) February 29, 2024
Tony, who was present at the courtroom, also said he wanted to face his son’s alleged killers.
‘When you’re in court, you are appearing in front of the people, and to be able to hide behind a mask is something that the justice system needs to look at,’ Jacaranda FM quoted Tony as saying.
‘The family and people of South Africa need to be able to see their faces. I don’t understand how the system works, and I hope that there’s some president that can enable to magistrate to compel them to take off their masks.’
When the court proceedings started, the five suspects appeared in the packed courtroom wearing face masks, buffs and hoodies, not wanting to be identified. However, they were ordered by Magistrate Vincent Hlatshwayo to uncover themselves as they were appearing in a public court, reported Times Live.
[WATCH] Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes and Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane’s alleged killers are ordered to uncover their faces during their first appearance in the Durban Magistrate’s Court. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/OG0WECUfXb
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) February 29, 2024
State Prosecutor Advocate Lawrence Gcaba told the court that the state intends 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,’ said Gcaba. ‘Among them, we are finishing the analysis of the data we have obtained.’
The case was provisionally remanded to Wednesday, 6 March, for a bail application and the suspects will remain in custody until then.
Four of the suspects have been linked to several other cases, including murder.
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Picture: @DasenThathiah / X