The AKA murder case was dealt a significant blow when an Eswatini court blocked South African prosecutors from retrieving four cellphones confiscated from two suspects linked to the rapper’s assassination.
Eswatini court rules to keep cellphones seized from AKA murder suspects
On Tuesday, the Manzini Magistrate’s Court was the focal point in the ongoing investigation into the murder of Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, where deliberations were held on the fate of four cellphones seized from the suspects, which are believed to hold crucial information related to the murders.
The state prosecutor’s request to transfer these cellphones to the South African Police Service (SAPS) was met with resistance from Sivesonkhe Ngwenya, the lawyer representing the Ndimande brothers, Siyabonga and Malusi.
Ngwenya argued that keeping the cellphones in Eswatini until an extradition hearing would not prejudice the state’s case.
This argument found favour with the court, which decided that the cellphones would remain in Eswatini for the time being, effectively delaying SAPS’s forensic investigation into possibly uncovering crucial information about all the roleplayers involved in the brutal double murder that occurred outside Wish Restaurant on Florida Road, Durban, on Friday, 10 February 2023.
In the end, the Ndimande brothers were remanded in custody and will return to the Manzini Magistrate’s Court, on Wednesday, 20 March 2024.
Why has South Africa not applied for extradition?
The absence of a formal extradition application from South Africa has raised eyebrows and questions about the trajectory of the case.
Despite the Ndimande brothers’ expressed willingness to face extradition to South Africa, provided their safety concerns are addressed, the lack of action from South African authorities is perplexing, with no assurances from state prosecutors on their reasons behind this peculiar stance.
Meanwhile, in Durban, the investigation continues with five other suspects linked to the case set to appear for bail proceedings, on Thursday, 14 March 2024.
