Five AKA-Tibz accused face separate murder cases involving taxi bosses

Ask AI 3minNdimande brothers Siyabonga Gezani and Malusi Dave Ndimande appeared in court for the murder of taxi owner William Kunene. The brothers are also accused of killing AKA and Tibz.

Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers

Five of the seven men accused of murdering rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and celebrity chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane appeared briefly in the Durban High Court on Thursday in connection with the separate murders of two Durban taxi bosses.

Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, the first accused in the AKA and Tibz murder trial, appeared alongside Philani Innocent Sikhosana and brothers Siyabonga Gezani and Malusi Dave Ndimande before Judge Mfuniselwa Nkosi for a pre-trial conference in the murder case of taxi boss William Kunene.

The four are accused of conspiring with other unknown people to murder Kunene, a taxi owner and member of the Folweni, Adams and Stanger Taxi Association.

During the brief appearance, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions advocate Lawrence Gcaba asked for the matter to be postponed to January 2027 for further pre-trial proceedings.

The State alleges that the accused shot Kunene at Seadoone Mall in Amanzimtoti after learning that he would be shopping at the Checkers store on November 9, 2022.

According to the indictment, Kunene completed his shopping and walked to his vehicle in the parking area, unaware that his movements were being monitored.

After loading his groceries into the vehicle, he returned the shopping trolley to the trolley bay. The State alleges that armed assailants then approached him and shot him several times before fleeing the scene. Kunene died at the scene.

Lindani Thabani Mkhwanazi and Lindani Zenzele Ndimande who are on trial for allegedly killing AKA and Tibz appeared at Durban High Court for separate murder cases.

Shortly after the Kunene matter was adjourned and the four accused returned to the court cells, Siyanda Eddie Myeza, the alleged gun supplier in the AKA and Tibz murders, was called to the dock.

He appeared alongside Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, Siyabonga Gezani Ndimande, Siphamandla Ngcobo and Mduduzi Ngubeni in the separate murder case of taxi boss Nhlanhla Ngcobo.

Myeza and the two Ndimande relatives are also accused in the AKA and Tibz murder case.

In this matter, they are accused of killing Ngcobo, who was the secretary of the Lamontville Taxi Association, in March 2023, weeks after Forbes and Motsoane were gunned down on Florida Road outside Wish restaurant in February that year.

The State alleges that the accused conspired to kill Ngcobo amid ongoing taxi violence, including disputes over routes and alleged revenge attacks.

According to the indictment, the accused belonged to a rival taxi association and armed themselves with automatic rifles before travelling to an area where they believed Ngcobo was.

Ngcobo was attacked while his wife, Zamokuhle Mkhwanazi-Ngcobo, was driving him. Their vehicle was stationary at a red traffic light at the intersection of Berea and Mansfield roads when gunmen allegedly opened fire.

The alleged gun supplier in the murder of AKA and Tibz, Siyanda Eddie Myeza. He appeared in court for a separate murder case of a taxi boss.

One of the vehicles allegedly used in the attack was a Mercedes-Benz which, according to the State, had been robbed from Sizwe Goodman Ndlovu at North Beach on January 7, 2023.

The same Mercedes-Benz was allegedly used as a getaway vehicle by the gunmen in the AKA and Tibz murders.

Gcaba, who is prosecuting all the matters, asked for the Ngcobo case to be postponed to January 2027 for further pre-trial proceedings.

Mkhwanazi-Ngcobo managed to drive to an Engen garage in Umbilo, where she stopped and sought assistance. However, Ngcobo had already been fatally wounded and died inside their grey Land Rover at the garage.

The indictment further alleges that the accused fled, driving through a red traffic light and knocking down a pedestrian who was crossing the road.

“They did not stop but continued driving away at high speed and later abandoned the vehicle,” the State alleges.