The two brothers accused of orchestrating the murder of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane have officially abandoned their appeal against extradition to South Africa.
According to the Times of Eswatini, Siyabonga Gezani Ndimande and Malusi Dave Ndimande, both South African nationals, withdrew their appeal before the Eswatini High Court this week, effectively clearing the way for their transfer to South African authorities.
The two men have been held at the Sidwashini Correctional Services facility in Mbabane since their arrest in February 2024.
The brothers were tracked down in Eswatini shortly after the murders of AKA and Tibz in Durban on 10 February 2023.
CCTV footage from outside Wish Restaurant captured two armed men approaching and shooting the pair in what police described as a “coordinated hit.” The suspects fled the country days later, prompting a cross-border manhunt.
In March 2024, Eswatini’s Principal Magistrate David Khumalo ruled that the brothers be extradited to South Africa to face murder and conspiracy charges, but their legal team filed an appeal to block the order.
The appeal argued that South Africa’s extradition request was invalid due to alleged procedural flaws.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Eswatini later submitted new evidence to validate the extradition, including official documents and media transcripts confirming that then-Justice Minister Ronald Lamola had approved the request through diplomatic channels on 15 March 2024.
The Eswatini DPP argued that failing to process the extradition could allow the brothers to “evade prosecution,” warning of “substantial prejudice” to South Africa’s case .
By abandoning their appeal, the Ndimande brothers have now agreed to return voluntarily to South Africa.
The Eswatini government is expected to coordinate the transfer with South African law enforcement in the coming weeks.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana confirmed that once the handover is completed, the brothers will join their five co-accused currently detained in South Africa.
The seven men are all linked to the AKA murder trial, which is set to begin in July 2026 at the Durban High Court.
The extradition of the Ndimande brothers is a major step forward in the high-profile case, which has drawn widespread public interest both in South Africa and internationally.
The state alleges that the pair played key roles in planning and financing the attack on the musician and his friend.
Police sources told Swisher Post earlier this year that the case is built on cellphone data, financial records, and witness testimony placing the suspects in contact with each other before and after the murder.
Investigators believe the killing was a paid hit linked to a business dispute.
The Ndimandes’ return to South Africa marks the end of a lengthy legal process that began more than a year ago.
Their surrender now allows the state to consolidate all suspects under one jurisdiction, paving the way for a full criminal trial to proceed without further delays.
