EXPLAINER: The 7 accused and their roles in AKA & Tibz murders
JOHANNESBURG - Further evidence has been laid bare in the high-profile double murder case of Kiernan "AKA" Forbes and his celeb chef friend, Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane.
On Wednesday, investigating officer, Warrant Officer Kumarasan Pillay, deposed an affidavit in the Durban Magistrates Court detailing the evidence the State has against seven men arrested in connection with the case, which includes Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande in Eswatini.
Eyewitness News has taken the liberty of profiling the accused and their roles in conjunction with evidence presented in court by the State.
All seven accused are facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition and money laundering. Several of the accused are facing separate charges of murder and robbery with aggravated circumstances.
Malusi Ndimande. Picture: @Sli_Masikane
Malusi Dave Ndimande (Mjay) - accused two in Eswatini
Role: AKA’s shooter
Payment received for his alleged role involvement: R133,000.
Malusi Ndimande is one of three brothers who have been arrested in connection with the murder of AKA and Tibz.
He was arrested by members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), while hiding in a rented apartment in Mbabane, Eswatini’s capital.
He was arrested alongside his brother, Siyabonga Gezani Ndimande (Nxele).
The two brothers are also linked to other murders.
Lindokuhle Mkhwanazi. Picture: Sphamandla Dlamini/Eyewitness News
Lindokuhle Mkhwanazi - accused one in SA
Role: Second shooter (fired several shots randomly at AKA’s entourage, killing Tibz)
Payment received for his alleged role involvement: R133,000.
According to the State, cellphone records place Lindokuhle Mkhwanazi at the scene of the shooting on Florida Road on the evening of 10 February 2023.
Cellular records place him at the vicinity of the crime scene at 10:17pm, just four minutes before the murders were committed at 10:21pm.
He is currently out on bail for his alleged involvement in another murder in 2022.
Lindani Ndimande. Picture: Sphamandla Dlamini/Eyewitness News
Lindani Ndimande - accused two in SA
Role: Coordinator (gave instructions of how the firearms should be dealt with and the removal of the number plate from the getaway vehicle).
Payment received for his alleged role involvement: R133,000.
Lindani Ndimande is the brother of Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande (arrested in Eswatini).
He previously accused the State of targeting their family, claiming the National Intervention Unit (NIU) wanted to assassinate his brothers (Siyabonga and Malusi) - hence they fled to Eswatini.
He is a taxi boss from KwaMbonambi Ocilwane Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Cellphone records place him at the scene of where the getaway vehicle (white Mercedes-Benz) vehicle was picked up in Jacobs earlier that day. Cellular records also place him in the vicinity of Florida Road, where the murders were committed, as well as in Umlazi, where the vehicle and firearms were returned after the shooting.
Siyanda Myeza. Picture: Sphamandla Dlamini/Eyewitness News
Siyanda Myeza - accused three in SA
Role: Supplier of firearms and getaway vehicle (white Mercedes-Benz) prior to the murders.
Payment received for his alleged role involvement: Unknown
The State alleges that witness statements implicate Myeza as the man who supplied the firearms and getaway vehicle (white Mercedes-Benz) to the accused prior to the murders.
According to the State, just after 8pm on 10 February 2023, Myeza received a call from Siyabonga Ndimande (accused one in Eswatini) and requested that arrangements be made to hand over the firearms and vehicle at the Jacobs off-ramp in Durban.
He was arrested in Umlazi - a story which Eyewitness News broke last year - after he was found in possession of the Norinco pistol (serial numbers filed off) that was positively and ballistically linked to two spent nickel cartridges found next to Forbes’ body after the murders.
He was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of firearms.
He was arrested again in October after the getaway vehicle was found abandoned in Cato Ridge. His fingerprints were found on the vehicle.
Mziwethemba Gwabeni. Picture: Sphamandla Dlamini/Eyewitness News
Mziwethemba Gwabeni - accused four in SA
Role: Coordinator - spotter/paymaster and vehicle supplier
Payment received for his alleged role involvement: R138,455.
Mziwethemba Gwabeni, a Durban businessman who has dealings in the private security and taxi industry.
He is alleged to be the overall coordinator and paymaster in relation to the murders.
The State alleges he followed AKA and his entourage in his grey BMW from Durban’s King Shaka International Airport on 10 February 2023. Cellphone records indicate he was at the airport when AKA landed and he also used his cellphone to pay for his parking at the airport. Gwabeni further paid for two hired vehicles which were used on the day to follow AKA - a grey VW Polo and a silver Hyundai i10.
The State alleges that on 11 February, the day after the murder, he received a sum of R803,455 into his business bank account at about 2pm. The payment was made from the business account of Bright Circle, owned by Sidney Mfunda Gcaba - a member of KZN’s notorious taxi family - “the Gcaba Brothers.” The money was deposited just minutes after their telephonic conversation ended.
Banking records show that at about 6pm, several of his co-accused met at his Cowies Hill property, west of Durban, where he proceeded to pay Lindokuhle Mkhwanazi, the three Ndimande brothers (Lindani, Siyabonga and Malusi) as well as Lindokuhle Ndimande (not related to the other three brothers) a sum of R133,000 each.
He kept R138,455 and paid a sum of R96,000 to St Benedict's School, which one of his children attends.
Lindokuhle Ndimande. Picture: Sphamandla Dlamini/Eyewitness News
Lindokuhle Ndimande - accused five in SA
Role: Coordinator - spotter
Payment received for his alleged role involvement: R133,000.
Lindokuhle Ndimane is not related to the other three Ndimande brothers. He is a taxi owner and a partner in a poultry farm in Camperdown, between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
He is alleged to have followed AKA and his entourage to the Hilton Hotel in uMhlanga using the grey VW Polo hired by Gwabeni.
Cellphone records also place him at the Jacobs off-ramp where the firearms and getaway vehicle were collected prior to the murders.
The State alleges he was dropped off at Wish Restaurant at 9:17pm where he is captured on CCTV footage entering the venue. He proceeded to have a meal and even switched his seats so he could get a better view of AKA and his entourage. He is allegedly seen continuously talking on his cellphone and even paid for his meal using a Standard Bank card linked to an account he opened that same morning. The State claims he remained inside the restaurant after the shooting and was "not shaken like others were".
A sum of R133,000 was paid into his Standard Bank account, the day after the murders.
Siyabonga Ndimande. Picture: @Sli_Masikane
Siyabonga Gezeni Ndimande (Nxele) - accused one in Eswatini
Role: Coordinator - coordinator of firearms and getaway vehicle used in the commission of the murders
Payment received for his alleged role involvement: R133,000.
Siyabonga Nidmande, one of the three Ndimande brothers arrested in the case, was arrested alongside his brother Malusi in Eswatini.
The State alleges he made the call to arrange for the collection of the firearms and getaway vehicle that were used in the murders of AKA and Tibz. He allegedly made a call to Siyanda Myeza (accused three) at 8:02pm on the night of the murders to arrange to meet at Jacobs off-ramp in Durban.
The State alleges the vehicle and firearms were handed over by Myeza at this location prior to the murders.
