Following media reports that the Gauteng provincial government has planned to honour AKA with a provincial funeral, the national government has declined it.
Entertainment SA is informed that Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s wish has not succeeded in getting permission from the Presidency to give the rapper, Kiernan “AKA” Forbes a provincial funeral.
Lesufi denied the request was for a financial contribution and according to News24, he explained that the province wanted to honour the rapper by draping his coffin with the South African flag and flying the flag at half-mast.
In an interview with the television channel, Newzroom Afrika, Lesufi said outside the rapper’s home on Thursday, that the musician would be buried in a secluded venue with “leaders, heroes, and heroines of our society”.
“We felt that a person of this international stature…there must be some form of honour and we want to clarify that it was not a financial contribution, but it was an honour of draping the coffin, ensuring the flag flies at half-mast and ensuring that it [is] a befitting funeral,” he is quoted.
“We will also provide security support for the family and ensure that the family feels our support and our comfort.”
According to the report, Lesufi’s spokesperson, Vuyo Mhaga, said a state funeral was for anyone who had contributed to society – he told News24.
“It is not about money. We are honouring the person’s contribution to the country. The family can keep the flag as a reminder that the South African government recognises their contribution,” Mhaga said.
If Ramaphosa had granted the request, the rapper’s coffin would have been wrapped in the South African flag and a provincial government official would have attended the funeral on behalf of the government.
Together with his friend Tebello Motsoane, AKA was gunned down on Friday night outside Wish restaurant on Florida Road in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
Main Image: DJ Black Coffee/SAHipHopMag
The post National government turns down state funeral request for the late AKA appeared first on Entertainment SA - South African Entertainment News, Celebrity and Lifestyle Online Magazine & Entertainment.
إرسال تعليق