Latest news with #AKA
IOL News
7 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
AKA's timeless tweets resurface following President Cyril Ramaphosa's White House visit
AKA, who was known for his audacious commentary and unwavering stance on social issues, has once again become a focal point of digital conversation following President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent visit to the White House. Image: Instagram/akaworldwide The late South African rapper Kiernan 'AKA' Forbes, known for his audacious commentary and unwavering stance on social issues, has once again become a focal point of digital conversation following President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent visit to the White House. As the country grapples with complex issues surrounding land reform and allegations of 'white genocide', many have turned to AKA's past tweets, often discovering that the rapper's insights remain hauntingly relevant. On Wednesday, May 21, President Ramaphosa met with US President Donald Trump to discuss bilateral trade relations and address the deeply entrenched allegations regarding systemic violence against white farmers in SA. These claims, which have been fueled by distorted narratives in Western media, were a contentious subject during the meeting, leading to diplomatic strains as Trump's administration previously expressed interest in these assertions. As news of the meeting spread, social media users quickly unearthed AKA's touching tweets, showcasing his fearlessness in confronting issues such as crime, xenophobia, and national representation. 'Is there an AKA Tweet for what we just witnessed…?' queried Robot Boii on X, initiating a dive into the rapper's archive. Among the gems retrieved was a tweet in which AKA fiercely challenged the notion of genocide in SA, stating, 'If there really was a 'genocide' or 'massacre' ... wouldn't your government have announced the names or number of fatalities?? CNN fed you fake news, and you devoured it.' This tweet echoed the sentiments of many South Africans who feel the narrative surrounding land reform has been distorted and exaggerated in the international arena. In another impassioned post, he wrote, 'Let no one deter you from your patriotism. Protect your country and its reputation at all costs.' Such declarations capture the essence of AKA's legacy - his bold patriotism and commitment to his nation resonate strongly, especially during moments of national scrutiny. Online commentators have been quick to celebrate the late rapper's insights. 'He was ahead of time,' noted a user reflecting on the relevance of AKA's statements in today's climate. Others echoed similar sentiments, recognising him as a figure who cared deeply for his country, asserting, 'Long live a legend who loved his country more than its leaders.'
News24
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Galxboy takes on Africa's richest square mile with new flagship store
He's come a long way on his entrepreneurial journey. What began as a provocative slogan on a T-shirt in 2008 has transformed into a lifestyle brand worn by artists, influencers and fashion-forward youth across the continent and beyond. Acknowledged by the late AKA in his iconic lyrics for his contribution to the culture, Thatiso Dube has explosively redefined the success of streetwear. The creative brains behind the powerhouse brand Galxboy have officially opened his 14th store across the country. In support of the movement, the likes of Focalistic, Priddy Ugly, Lula Odiba, Hope Ramafalo, Juicy Jay and 25k The Plug are just some of the notable names that came out to launch the Sandton City store on Thursday, 15 May – the fashion brand's most prestigious store. Read more | BEHIND THE BRAND | 'Pitori to the world' - GalxBoy owner speaks about the ups and downs of creating a world-class brand Unlike the other stores, Thatiso admits that securing this 14th store was harder and it took about three years to close the deal. 'It's tough to get into one of the biggest malls in SA, it's very tough. It's not like we can just make a call. It doesn't matter who you are, you have to wait,' he tells Drum. 'Opening in the financial capital of South Africa is huge for the brand and our journey thus far. We're not just opening another store in another mall, we are creating a cultural destination, a space where fashion, identity and even ambition all collide. Galxboy has always stood for owning your truth, and what better place to embody that than the heart of Joburg's innovation and business scene, Sandton.' Despite the hassle, he adds that he will not stop pushing more from Africa's richest square mile. 'We're here to play the game; to bring more black people to this mall and make them look good. My aim is to make everyone look good, even though they're on a budget, that's the gap I'm filling. If we perform well, who knows? Maybe Sandton City mall management will tell move us to Diamond Walk.' There's no stopping Thatiso and his team anytime soon as he still plans to open two more stores in the country and even go beyond the South African borders, into Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho and hopefully internationally, in the UK and Dubai. Read more | 9 stores and he's only just getting started, says GalxBoy founder Thatiso Dube 'We want to dress the whole household, from the baby to the grandfather,' he laughs. While he climbs the global fashion ladder, he's bringing smaller local fashion brands up with him. 'We have an incubator/online store that's helping smaller brands. We're basically housing smaller brands and helping them produce and distribute their products and school them on the background of running a brand because most brands have good designs and good marketing, but the back office is where they struggle. And if the back office is not good then you will not go far. That's what we're helping the youngsters with.' Through it all, his biggest highlight of his journey is being able to hire young people, give them hope and empower them. 'We're here to build young people who are serious about life,' he concludes.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A.k.a. Brands: Q1 Earnings Snapshot
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. (AKA) on Tuesday reported a loss of $8.4 million in its first quarter. The San Francisco-based company said it had a loss of 78 cents per share. The results met Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was also for a loss of 78 cents per share. The portfolio of online fashion brands posted revenue of $128.7 million in the period, topping Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $122.1 million. For the current quarter ending in June, a.k.a. Brands said it expects revenue in the range of $154 million to $158 million. The company expects full-year revenue in the range of $600 million to $610 million. A.k.a. Brands shares have dropped 54% since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Tuesday, shares hit $8.70, a decrease of 68% in the last 12 months. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights ( using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on AKA at Sign in to access your portfolio
The Citizen
08-05-2025
- The Citizen
Former top prosecutor takes over full defence in AKA, Tibz murder case
Former top prosecutor takes over full defence in AKA, Tibz murder case Former National Prosecuting Authority director in KZN, Advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa, will now represent all the accused in the Kiernan 'AKA' Forbes and Tebello 'Tibz' Motsoane murder case — including those facing extradition from Eswatini. The Witness reports that Mlotshwa was already representing two of the accused. The matter, now transferred to the High Court, returned today for a pre-trial conference following the indictment of the accused in February. AKA and Tibz were gunned down outside the popular Durban restaurant, Wish, on February 10, 2023. The five men — Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, Lindani Zenzele Ndimande (35), Siyanda Eddie Myeza (21), Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni (36), and Lindokuhle 'Lindo' Ndimande (29) — were arrested in February 2024. They made a brief appearance at the Durban High Court today for the pre-trial. The matter was postponed to June 12 after state prosecutor Advocate Lawrence Gcaba informed the court that the defence attorney was in Eswatini handling the extradition proceedings of two other accused, Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande. The group faces several charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and five counts of attempted murder. In addition, Mkhwanazi, Ndimande, Myeza, and Gwabeni face charges of money laundering involving the acquisition, possession or use of proceeds from unlawful activities. During a previous court appearance, the state revealed it had obtained surveillance footage from King Shaka International Airport allegedly showing Gwabeni waiting for AKA upon his arrival in Durban on the day of the murder. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
News24
08-05-2025
- News24
AKA, Tibz murder accused appoint former prosecutions boss as their lawyer
The pretrial hearing for the five accused of the murders of South African rapper Kiernan 'AKA' Forbes and his friend Tebello 'Tibz' Motsoane, have been postponed. The five stand accused of murder and money laundering. The accused will be represented by a former KZN deputy director of public prosecutions who turned defence advocate. The pretrial hearing of five men accused of the murder of multi-award-winning South African rapper Kiernan 'AKA' Forbes and his friend Tebello 'Tibz' Motsoane have been postponed to June. AKA was gunned down on 10 February 2023 along with Motsoane on Durban's Florida Road. Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, 30, Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, 35, Siyanda Eddie Myeza, 21, Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni, 37, and Lindokuhle Lindo Ndimande, 29, appeared briefly in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban on Thursday. Their pretrial was, however, adjourned after an agreement reached between the State and the defence. KwaZulu-Natal Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions advocate Lawrence Gcaba told the court that the accused's legal representative advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa, was unavailable as he was in the Supreme Court of Appeal in Eswatini representing the two other accused, Siyabonga Gezani Ndimande and Malusi Dave Ndimande, in their extradition hearing. 'All five of the accused will now be represented by Mlotshwa. Due to him being in Eswatini by arrangement, may the matter be adjourned to 12 June,' asked Gcaba. Previously, in the Durban case, Mlotshwa only represented Mkhwanazi and Lindokuhle Lindo Ndimande while Myeza was represented by Yolanda Gielink, and advocate Joe Wolmarans represented Gwabeni and Lindani Zenzele Ndimande. Mlotshwa, who now represents all five accused, is a former Acting Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal. The accused face 12 counts including two murders, conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, five attempted murders, and money laundering. The State alleges that Gwabs Mining, owned by accused Gwabeni, received an amount of R803 455 on the pretext that it was for the services of a consultant when in fact it had been for AKA's murder. Gwabeni allegedly transferred over R100 000 into each of the accused's bank accounts, including that of Ndimande, who is currently in eSwatini, fighting extradition. It emerged during the accused's bail application that the money was paid by a company, Bright Circle, into Gwabeni's FNB account a day after the murder and investigations uncovered that Sydney to Mfunda Gcaba was the sole director of Bright Circle and that cellphone records show that before the money was deposited, Gwabeni made a call to a number linked to Gcaba. Outside court, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara explained that in August last year, the Manzini Magistrate's Court in Eswatini had issued an order for the Ndimande brothers to be extradited, but they filed a notice to appeal this. However, the prosecution team believed that the brother's notice should be null and void because it was filed out of time and made an application regarding that. 'In November last year, the High Court ruled that the two brothers filed within the time, and today the prosecution is taking that on appeal in the SCA in Eswatini.'
