A shocking twist has emerged in the tragic case of the murder of popular rapper AKA, as a prominent businessman from a powerful South African family is now linked to the crime.AKA, known by his real name Kiernan Forbes, along with his close friend Tibz Motsoane, was fatally shot outside a restaurant in Durban on February 10 last year.

According to details presented in court by the investigating officer, a company owned by businessman Sydney Mfundo Gcaba allegedly transferred over 800,000 rand ($42,000; £33,000) to the bank account of one of the suspects currently standing trial for the rapper's killing.This substantial payment was reportedly made just a day after AKA's tragic death.

Further scrutiny of phone records revealed that the recipient of the funds, Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni, purportedly made a call to Mr. Gcaba before the transaction, raising suspicions of a deeper connection.Despite these revelations, Mr. Gcaba has not yet provided any comment on the prosecutor's claims.

The prosecution alleges that the transferred money was then evenly divided among seven suspects involved in the crime.However, Mr. Gwabeni claims in an affidavit that the funds were payment for consultancy services he rendered to the company.Yet, the prosecution argues that there is insufficient evidence to support this claim.

Sydney Mfundo Gcaba's affiliation with the influential Gcaba family, renowned for their taxi empire and various businesses across South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, adds layers of complexity to the case.As investigations continue, authorities are still piecing together the motive behind Mr. Gcaba's alleged involvement in AKA's tragic murder.