Two brothers accused of AKA murder back in eSwatini court

DURBAN - The two men arrested in Eswatini for the murders of Kiernan "AKA" Forbes and Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane will appear in the Manzini Magistrates Court this morning. 

Brothers Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande were arrested by the Royal Eswatini Police Service at an apartment in the country's capital of Mbabane last month, while their brother Lindani was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal.

On Tuesday, South Africa approved the extradition request to have the pair brought back to the country.

Hailing from a small village in northern Kwazulu-Natal - about three hours from Durban - the Ndimande brothers form part of a well-known taxi family who are feared in the industry. 

During Lindani's bail application in the Durban Magistrates Court on Monday, he claimed their arrests were part of a plot by police management to tarnish their family name. 

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A family reputation that precedes itself as it seems. 

Lindani informed the court that his family is at war with members of the National Intervention Unit (NIU) - an elite South African Police Service unit - that deals with serious and organised crimes in the country. 

He claims to have lost six family members in shootings with the NIU and says as a result, his brothers Siyabonga and Malusi fled to Eswatini in fear of being assassinated by police. 

During their last appearance, their attorney - Sivasonkhe Ngwenya - refused to have their cell phones handed over to police.

He claims it will prejudice his clients as they do not have any details on the extradition process. 

Police are hoping to download information from the brothers' four cell phones to assist with their investigations.