The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has demanded justice for Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes, the slain South African rapper.
LEADERSHIP reports that the 35-year-old rapper was shot dead outside a restaurant in South Africa’s city of Durban on February 10.
CCTV footage captured AKA and his friend walking to their car when they were approached by two armed men who shot them at close range. The assailants then fled the scene on foot.
In a statement on Friday, Mike Dada, AFRIMA’s president, urged governments across Africa to prioritize the protection of talented individuals.
He also called on the government of South Africa to ensure justice for the slain rapper.
Dada demanded that people involved in AKA’s death be arrested and prosecuted to send a clear message to “criminally-minded individuals” who might be tempted to commit similar crimes.
“We strongly demand from the government of South Africa to arrest and prosecute all the persons involved in the killing of AKA to serve as a deterrent to criminally-minded individuals who cut short the lives of talents at their prime,” he said.
“The crime deterrent is for criminals to know that there is a big chance for them to be arrested, prosecuted and convicted; we strongly call for justice to be sufficiently served in this case.”
Dada also reacted to the death of Costa Titch, another South African rapper who slumped and died on stage.
He described the impact of AKA and Titch’s career on the African music community as “magical.”
“The deaths of AKA and Costa Titch will continue to cause significant reverberations across the African music fraternity because their contributions to the art were simply magical,” he added.
“They have left a huge void in the music industry and their invaluable contributions to the African music ecosystem would be missed forever,” he stated.
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