Culture

South African police denies arresting killers of rapper, AKA

Published

2 years ago

March 27, 2023

South African police have denied reports that killers of rapper, Kiernan Forbes, popularly known as AKA, have been arrested.

Reports making the rounds in the country over the past weekend had indicated that the police had made a big breakthrough in the case following public outcry that it had gone cold with an hashtag, #JusticeForAKA, becoming the most trending hashtags in the country.

Several authoritative South African media had reported that the police had made a breakthrough in the investigation and that an anonymous source close to the investigation had revealed that three suspects were arrested in Cape Town on Sunday.

The report also stated that the suspects were now in police custody, and would be charged in Durban where the assassination took place.

But in a statement on Monday, the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police dismissed the report that arrests have been made in the investigation of AKA’s murder case.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, who refuted the reports, said some people had jumped the gun.

“Where are you guys getting this information? There has been no update as yet regarding the case,” he said when asked if there was a breakthrough as yet.

The Western Cape police spokesperson, Andre Traut, who also described the report as false, said the police have not received no information regarding the arrest.

“It is a KZN case, should we get any information, it will be sent to them. You should contact them for information,” he said.

Also denying the report, the late rapper’s legal representative, Rudolph Baloyi, said as far as he is concerned, there has not been any arrest in connection with the murder of AKA.

Baloyi who was reacting after media reports surfaced at the weekend that three suspects had been nabbed for the rapper’s murder, said at a press conference in Cape Town that no arrests have been made.

“No, it is not true. No suspects have been arrested in connection with my client’s murder case,” Baloyi said.

The “Fela In Versace” rapper was gunned down in a drive-by shooting outside the Wish restaurant on Florida Road in Durban on the evening of February 10, as he was preparing to perform at the YUGO nightclub.

Click to comment

Culture

Ghana’s Supreme Court dismisses suit challenging anti-LGBT bill

Published

2 days ago

December 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Ghana’s Supreme Court has dismissed two separate suits challenging the legality of one of the proposed anti-LGBT legislations awaiting assent into law by the president.

The separate suits were filed by two legal practitioners, Amanda Odoi and Richard Sky, challenging the bill, seeking to declare it illegal and prevent the president from signing it.

The two cases had challenged the constitutionality of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.

But in a ruling on Wednesday, the Supreme Court unanimously decided to dismiss the legal challenges to the new anti-LGBT legislation that has been criticised by rights groups.

The controversial bill was passed earlier this year by Ghanaian lawmakers with three years imprisonment for people identifying as LGBT and five years for forming or funding LGBT groups.

While dismissing the cases, presiding judge, Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson, who delivered the ruling on behalf of the seven-member panel, said the cases were premature.

“Until there’s presidential assent, there is no act, the two cases were “unanimously dismissed,” she said.

The ruling is the latest blow to the LGBTQ community in Ghana and paves the way for the president to sign into law what many say is one of Africa’s most restrictive piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose term in office ends on 7 January, had delayed signing it pending the outcome of the Supreme Court challenge but the judges said the case could not be reviewed until it had been signed it into law.

It expected that incoming president, John Mahama, will sign the bill into law as he had always expressed his support for the bill during his electioneering campaigns.

Culture

UNESCO lists Ghana’s Kente cloth as cultural heritage

Published

3 days ago

December 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The iconic Ghanaian Kente, a piece of clothing, has been recognized as a cultural heritage on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The global recognition, according to the UN body, is coming under the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage highlights the cultural and historical significance of the vibrant, handwoven textile.

In a citation on its website, UNESCO describes the Kente cloth as “originating from Ghana’s Asante and Ewe communities and renowned worldwide for its bold colors, intricate patterns, and deep symbolic meanings, embodying the creativity and identity of the Ghanaian people.”

Ghana’s Tourism Minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, described the recognition as a testament to Ghana’s commitment to preserving its cultural heritage.

“This achievement places Ghana at the forefront of global efforts to safeguard and celebrate cultural traditions,” he noted.

In a statement acknowledging the recognition, Mercer said the “Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, UNESCO, and the artisans, cultural institutions, and traditional authorities who contributed to this milestone.”

“Special acknowledgement is given to the Bonwire and Agotime communities for their enduring role as custodians of the craft.

“As Ghana celebrates this historic moment, MoTAC reaffirms its dedication to promoting and preserving the nation’s rich cultural legacy.”