Brothers fled because NIU wants to assassinate them, claims AKA murder accused

One of the men accused of killing rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes claims his brothers fled to Eswatini because six other siblings were allegedly killed by the National Intervention Unit (NIU) probing taxi wars in Durban and they feared for their lives.

This emerged during the bail application of Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, 35, who is allegedly linked to the murder of AKA and his friend, chef and author Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, in Durban in February last year.

Ndimande, who appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday, said the NIU wanted to “assassinate them [the entire family] at all cost”.

Bail applications for two other accused, Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, 30 and Siyanda Eddie Myeza, 21, were heard on Friday.

They face 10 charges, including two counts of murder, five of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, possession of unlawful firearms and possession of unlawful ammunition.

Ndimande said the state was “skating on thin ice as it has no evidence linking” him to the murders.

He told the court he was a Maskandi artist and part-time bodyguard.

He was arrested on October 25 in the Maponya Mall in Gauteng and transported to Durban.

He said he had been interrogated but denied the allegations.

Ndimande claimed that when he got to Durban he had been assaulted by police and forced to make a confession.

The recently engaged father of five children said he was in the taxi industry and owned four taxis which generated about R250,000 a month.

The court heard the Ndimande family had over the years been in a war with the Gumede family over control of the Malukazi Taxi Association in Umlazi, outside Durban.

There had been sporadic shootings which resulted in the deaths of a number of people, including six Ndimande family members.

Ndimande said his two brothers Siyabonga “Nxele”, 28, and Malusi “Mjay”, 28 who are also accused in the matter, had decided to seek refuge in other countries due to the violence.

He said the brothers were sought by the NIU who allegedly sided with the Gumede family to assassinate them.

Members of the NIU allegedly came to their homestead outside Empangeni wearing balaclavas with only their eyes visible and demanded his relatives.

He said when they heard about this they had decided to flee to Eswatini.

Nxele and Mjay were arrested there last month, and the SA government is working on an extradition application.

Ndimande said he intended to plead not guilty.