'WarrapenKeegan' video star's fiery death could be murder, say police

Police are investigating whether the man who gained social media fame after a video of him fighting with a friend at a braai went viral three years ago was murdered.

Keegan Reddy, 31, from Seatides, north of Durban, died in a fire at his family home on Saturday.

The video of the fight which broke out between Reddy and a friend took over the internet in 2016, turning him into an overnight sensation.

The footage of the famous fight resulted in the hashtag #WarrapenKeegan topping the Twitter trends list at the time.

Throughout the video all that could be heard loud and clear was 'Warrapen Keegan', a phrase that became widely used by thousands who had viewed the video around SA.

Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said on Monday a case of murder was being investigated by Tongaat police.

"It is alleged that on June 1 2019, a 31-year-old man was at his place of residence at Seatides, Tongaat area, when he was allegedly set alight by unknown suspect."

Nazir Sadack, head of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), said a call for help was made by a neighbour.

"We alerted the relevant authorities and also responded. When I arrived at the scene, I found that most of the home was engulfed in flames.

"Keegan’s family managed to escape the fire."

Sadack said the family attempted to rescue Reddy who was trapped inside his room.

"We were unable to rescue him because the flames were too high."

Sadack said Reddy’s mother was hysterical, while his father appeared "more composed".

"I think he's shocked by the tragedy."

Sadack said the family had not yet finalised funeral arrangements.