SA yet to apply to have brothers linked to AKA murder extradited from Eswatini, court hears

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa has yet to make an application for the extradition of two men from Eswatini linked to the murder of Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane.
 
South African citizens Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande appeared in the Manzini Magistrates Court in Eswatini on Tuesday morning. 
 
The court heard that South Africa has yet to apply to have the pair extradited to the country. 

READ: Process underway to extradite suspects in Eswatini linked to AKA, Tibz murder - Ntshavheni
 
Four cellphones seized from the Ndimande brothers will not be handed over to Eswatini police and will remain in possession of the court. 
 
This comes after the State requested the cellphones be handed over to the Eswatini police so they could in turn hand them over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for investigation. 
 
But the court decided against this citing that until South Africa makes its extradition application, a decision cannot be made on the cellphones. 
 
Local authorities are hoping to get their hands on the cellphones of the Ndimande brothers to download information contained in them concerning Forbes and Motsoane’s murders.
 
Slouched in the dock, the brothers could be seen at times laughing and bowing their heads as they shied away from cameras in the gallery. 
 
They were arrested by the Royal Eswatini Police Service while hiding in a flat they were renting in Mbabane in February. 
 
Once back on SA soil, the pair will join five others, which include two of their relatives who have also been arrested, in the high-profile double murder case.
 
The Ndimande brothers will return to the Manzini Magistrates Court next week.