South African rapper AKA passes away from a shooting incident in Durban

South Africa has lost one of its prominent rap artists, AKA, in a shooting incident that took place in Durban. According to a statement from his family, AKA was accompanied by a friend, chef and entrepreneur Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane, when the tragedy occurred. The two were reportedly walking towards their car after dining at a restaurant when the shooting took place.

On Saturday morning, shortly after the news of Kiernan Forbes, also known as "AKA", being shot and killed in Durban broke, friends and family began gathering at his home in Bryanston, Johannesburg.

The tragic event occurred on Friday night, on the popular Florida Road strip in Durban where Forbes was scheduled to perform. His close friend and well-known chef, Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane, was also shot and died at the scene from a chest wound.

In Johannesburg, vehicles filled the street outside AKA's residence as friends arrived to pay their final tributes.A security guard outside the complex kept the media and onlookers at a safe distance from the gates. Meanwhile, a van arrived with refreshments for the guests, and Ntombezinhle "DJ Zinhle" Jiyane and DJ and producer Oscar "Oskido" Mdlongwa arrived in the afternoon.

Jiyane and AKA share a child and were previously in a relationship before officially splitting in 2020. Jiyane is now married to Bongani "Murdah Bongz" Mohosana, a DJ formerly of the group Black Motion

The reason behind the fatal incident is still being investigated.

In a statement shared on AKA's Twitter account, his parents Tony and Lynn Forbes expressed their immense grief over the loss of their son. They said, "We are deeply heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved son. He was cherished by many and returned that love wholeheartedly.”

The 35-year-old began his musical career as part of the rap group Entity before launching his solo career. Forbes won multiple South African awards, was nominated several times for a Black Entertainment Television (BET) Award in the United States, and was once nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award."

According to Durban city mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, Forbes was scheduled to give a performance at a local club on Friday evening.

Just a few hours prior to his untimely passing, Forbes took to Twitter to share news about his upcoming album, "Mass Country", which was due to be released later in the month.

The head of the parliamentary committee on arts and culture, Beauty Dlulane, spoke out against the killing and referred to it as a "hit". She urged the authorities to take action and protect the citizens of South Africa from the rising trend of contract and revenge killings, particularly targeting performing artists and DJs.

This tragedy follows the death of DJ Sumbody, a rising star in the house music sub-genre Amapiano, who was killed along with his bodyguard in a drive-by shooting in Johannesburg last November.

Sadly, gun violence has taken the life of another cherished artist in South Africa. In 2007, the beloved reggae singer, Lucky Dube, was tragically killed in a failed hijacking incident when he was shot three times at close range while dropping off his son at a relative's home.

South Africa has a disturbingly high murder rate, with one of the highest in the world. Gun Free South Africa, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing gun violence in the country, estimates that there are 30 gun-related murders in the country each day.

The country witnessed a surge of shooting incidents last year, resulting in the loss of nearly two dozen lives at different bars in the working-class suburbs of Johannesburg and in the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg.

In the latest occurrence of gun violence, eight individuals lost their lives in a shooting at a birthday celebration last month.