SA Reacts to Late Rapper AKA’s Sendoff Winning Big at Funeral Awards: “This Is a Joke, Right?”

• South Africans have shared mixed reactions on social media after the late rapper AKA's funeral won top honours at the inaugural National Funeral Business Lifetime Achievement Awards
• The funeral awards ceremony, aimed at promoting professionalism in the funeral service industry, has faced criticism for seeming tone-deaf
• Event CEO Muzi Hlengwa clarified that the awards seek to recognise and give exposure to the work of undertakers who help families through the difficult process of burying their loved ones

South Africans have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the recent reports that the late award-winning rapper Kiernan "AKA" Forbes' funeral was among the top winners at the inaugural National Funeral Business Lifetime Achievement Awards.

AKA's funeral scoops top awards

AKA may be gone, but his legacy and memory live on forever. The rapper's name popped up on social media following the news that his luxurious sendoff was crowned among the best funeral services in Mzansi.

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AKA was murdered in February 2023, and a public memorial for the Fela In Vesrsace rapper was held on Friday, 17 February, followed by his funeral on Saturday.

Social media users shared mixed reactions to the viral social media report. Many felt that hosting an awards ceremony to determine which funeral was the best felt inappropriate.

@nolomoifa said:

"Funeral awards... y'all have lost your marbles 🤨🤦🏾‍♂️🚮"

@sswazi1 commented:

"Since when do we have funeral awards? For the why?"

@Magoro_om wrote:

"What do you mean we have funeral awards in this country😩😩😩😂😂"

@TheQueen_MsMabs added:

"The title is misleading - it seems like an awards system for funeral service providers. Nevertheless, who decides on the criteria, who measures it, who nominates and who audits the results? It sounds like a marketing gimmick to me."

@BlueNip wrote:

"When people spend more money on the dead than the living, then you know how corrupt the soul of the country is."

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@phumlaniphumzaM added:

"What the actual f !?? 😳🤯 So there's a group of grown-ups out there that sit and rate other people's funerals and spend money to curate an award show?? 😭😭 What kind of people do we live with!? 🤦🏾‍♂️"

What you need to know about the funeral awards

The National Funeral Business Awards, which were held on Saturday, are aimed at promoting professionalism in the funeral service. The idea received massive backlash as many called it tone-deaf and inappropriate, especially with categories like Best Funeral Service of the Year and Best Branding.

Event CEO Muzi Hlengwa said the main aim of the awards ceremony is not to celebrate death but to give exposure to the people who ensure that our loved ones get befitting send-offs.

"As undertakers, we are not only burying people, but we are also dealing with the pain of families that have lost their loved ones. We want to give South African undertakers exposure. We want to applaud the hard and good work that they do for the members of the public."

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Yanga Chief gets emotional while talking about AKA

In more entertainment news, Briefly News reported that Yanga Chief failed to control his tears while talking about how he first met his late friend and colleague, AKA. The rapper's interview had fans emotional.

Yanga Chief and AKA had a special relationship. The What If rapper recently spoke about his brotherhood with Forbes and how he was good to him when he was still new in the industry.

Source: Briefly News