Breakthrough in AKA Murder Case as Extradition Appeal Withdrawn

Johannesburg, South Africa — South Africa’s Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has announced a significant breakthrough in the ongoing murder case of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, confirming that two key suspects have withdrawn their extradition appeal in Eswatini.

The two brothers, Siyabonga Gezani Ndimande and Malusi Dave Ndimande, alleged to be the gunmen responsible for the fatal February 2023 shooting in Durban, have officially abandoned their legal challenge against being extradited to South Africa. This development clears the path for their return to face trial.

According to Minister Kubayi, the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) was informed by Eswatini authorities on October 30, 2025, that a Notice of Abandonment had been filed.

“Their withdrawal brings the process of extraditing them to South Africa closer to being finalised,” Minister Kubayi’s office said in a statement.

The Ndimande brothers were arrested in Eswatini in February 2024 and have been contesting a local court’s extradition order since August 2024. They are among seven men charged in connection with the murders of AKA and Tibz. The remaining five accused are scheduled to stand trial in July 2026.

Minister Kubayi commended the ongoing collaboration between South African and Eswatini authorities, emphasizing that the latest progress offers renewed hope for justice.

“This development brings hope for closure to the families of the victims and to all South Africans who have followed this case closely,” she said.

The extradition is now expected to proceed in the coming weeks, marking a crucial step toward resolving one of South Africa’s most closely watched criminal cases.