In a breakthrough for one of the country’s most high-profile criminal cases, brothers Siyabonga Ndimande and Malusi Ndimande have been returned from Eswatini to South Africa to face trial for the murders of rapper AKA and Motsoane, following months of legal maneuvers and international cooperation.

A Long Road to Justice

The dramatic shooting that claimed the lives of AKA (real name Kiernan “AKA” Forbes) and Motsoane outside a restaurant on Durban’s Florida Road in February 2023 stunned the nation. Over two years later, this extradition marks a pivotal turn in a case that has been mired in delays. Daily News

The Ndimande brothers were arrested in Eswatini in February 2024 and initially resisted extradition, citing concerns about safety and due process.

However, in October 2025 they abandoned their appeal against being brought back to South Africa.

Their extradition was formally approved by a magistrate in Eswatini, who accepted South African authorities’ evidence—cell-phone records, tracker data, video footage and more—as sufficient for the hand-over.

The Hand-Over and What It Means

On 11 November 2025 the brothers were officially extradited and appeared before court in Durban alongside five other accused men who have been charged in connection with the double murder.
EWN

As parts of the wider investigation continue, the provincial police commissioner confirmed that efforts are now underway to identify and bring in additional suspects—possibly those who financed or orchestrated the hit.

A Case That Hits at Organised Crime

Authorities say the operation behind the killings involved a layered structure: spotters, shooters, getaway drivers and a coordinating figure who paid the hit team.

The extradition of the Ndimande brothers removes one of the main roadblocks to fully prosecuting the case.

What Comes Next

The extradited brothers are expected to face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition in the South African courts.

Trial dates are being set, and the spotlight now moves to the legal proceedings and how the state presents its evidence.

For many in South Africa the development brings hope that justice may finally be served for AKA and Tibz—and sends a strong message about cross-border cooperation in prosecuting organised violence.