By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The case against five of the seven men accused of killing South African rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane was postponed in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
The case was postponed to March 6 during their brief appearance.
Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, 30; Lindani Ndimande, 30; Eddie Myeza, 22; Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni, 36; and Lindokuhle Ndimande, 29; face a total of 10 charges.
The charges include murder and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Ndimande and Gwabeni are both being represented by top Durban advocate Paul Jorgenson.
Forbes and Motsoane were killed outside the Wish restaurant in Durban on 10 February 2023.
AKA’s father, Tony Forbes, Police Minister Bheki Cele, and KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi were among dozens of people in the packed court gallery.
Senior State advocate Lawrence Gcaba said, the accused were charged with a Schedule 6 offence, which means that the onus is on the accused to prove that there are exceptional circumstances that warrant their release on bail.
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, Mkhwanazi said the six people played different roles in executing the murder.
“There was a spotter inside the restaurant and the other was outside the restaurant,” he said.
Mkhwanazi said one of the spotters had followed AKA from the airport when he arrived in Durban.
He said four vehicles were used in the crime — two of them were hired and have since been handed back to the owner.
The first vehicle was recovered last year, as well as the firearm used.
The commissioner said all the arrested people were linked to other murder cases and said four suspects were in police custody and two were still in Swaziland.
Cele meanwhile told the media that the Department of Justice is in charge of the extradition of two of the seven accused.
The pair is currently in Swaziland under police guard.
“I know that the Minister of Justice already had contact with his counterpart on the other side, but as he says, it is out of the police. Hence, it is on Justice or Immigration as by law you do not hand over to police, you hand over to immigration if that person has crossed the border illegally, “said Cele.