Two brothers appeared in court docket after their extradition from Eswatini in reference to the 2023 homicide of South African Hip-Hop star AKA.

Two brothers have landed in a South African courtroom after a high-security extradition tied to the brazen 2023 killing of Hip-Hop icon AKA exterior a Durban restaurant.

Escorted by police helicopters and surrounded by armed officers, Siyabonga and his brother Malusi Ndimande had been flown in from Eswatini on November 11 following a coordinated worldwide takedown led by Interpol.

The pair now face 20 charges, together with homicide, tried homicide, conspiracy and a number of firearms offenses.

The costs stem primarily from the February 2023 taking pictures that killed South African rap heavyweight Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his shut good friend and entrepreneur Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane.

But prosecutors say the brothers are additionally linked to the killing of a taxi boss in Amanzimtoti, a coastal city close to Durban, in a separate case.

The Durban Magistrate’s Court look marks a big growth in a case that rattled South Africa’s music scene and left a void within the nation’s Hip-Hop panorama.

AKA, 35, was the best-selling rapper in South African historical past, identified for chart-toppers reminiscent of “Fela in Versace,” “All Eyes on Me,” and “Prada.” His 2022 single “Lemons (Lemonade)” was nonetheless climbing streaming charts when he was gunned down.

The hit was carried out exterior a busy restaurant in Durban, in what police described as a calculated assassination.

The homicide shocked the leisure business and ended a profession that had fused American Hip-Hop with South African rhythms, incomes AKA each native and worldwide acclaim.

His ultimate album continued to achieve traction all through 2023, with posthumous honors highlighting the scope of his affect.

Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, a spokesperson for the South African Police Service, credited the joint efforts of legislation enforcement throughout borders.

“The collaborative investigation between South African and Eswatini authorities, the National Prosecuting Authority and Interpol” led to the profitable extradition, she mentioned.

The Ndimande brothers are expected to stand trial alongside five other suspects already in custody for the double homicide. Their subsequent court docket look is scheduled for November 25.

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