Johannesburg - As many enthusiastically prepare for one of the biggest weekends in SA, Durban will always be a chilling reminder of how the late rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes was senselessly killed.
Forbes had just finished dining with his friends at a popular restaurant, Wish on Florida Road, when he was shot in their presence in February.
The alarming killings prevalent in KZN have been a major concern to many political parties and organisations as statistics continue to paint a grim picture about safety.
DJ Zinhle, with whom Forbes shares a daughter, recently pulled out of an event in Durban, revealing she is not yet emotionally strong to visit the province.
“I cannot lie to you guys; I’m not ready for Durban. Emotionally, I’m not ready at all. I get a little anxious thinking about being in Durban. It’s going to be a while before I can be in Durban,” she shared on social media.
Lynn Forbes had also opened up about her son’s death, saying that it would be too soon to visit the province and that she had no intentions of going there.
Barely months after the death of AKA, Wish Restaurant was forced to close its doors in April.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the imminent closure of Wish On Florida, effective April 10, 2023, where we will be hosting ‘The Last Supper’.
“In light of the recent tragic event on our doorstep, we have experienced a severe downturn in business, which leaves the directors with no other choice but to close the business permanently as the brand equity of Wish On Florida has been deeply hindered.”
To date, there have been no arrests, however the National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, said the assassins of an award-winning rapper and a popular chef are “known”.
In a media briefing earlier this month, he said: “We know who we are looking for. It is a matter of rounding up all of them.”
This weekend is expected to be explosive, as all roads will be leading to Greyville Racecourse, where the eagerly awaited Hollywood Durban July horse racing will take place.
Scores of people from different walks of life will be expected to grace the grand lifestyle event that attracts people beyond South Africa’s shores.
The Star