On April 11th, Anele Tembe’s older sister, Mbali Tembe, paid a heartfelt tribute to her beloved sister, marking the third year since her tragic passing.
Anele Tembe’s untimely death in 2021, at the young age of 22, shook the world. Allegedly falling from the 10th floor of the five-star Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town, her passing left a void in the hearts of those who loved her.
In a poignant post on her private Instagram account, Mbali shared the ongoing pain and struggle she experiences in coming to terms with how her sister died.
She recounted the heartbreaking moments leading up to Anele’s funeral, where she, as the older sister, felt the responsibility to bathe her and dress her in her favourite dress, trying to restore her dignity.
But what Mbali and her family discovered was a cruel reality. Pre-wounds, cigarette burns, a cracked lip, and carpet burns adorned Anele’s body.
The haunting question echoed in Mbali’s mind: How much pain did her sister endure? How long did she cry and beg for it to stop? Mbali’s words paint a vivid picture of the anguish and torment her sister faced in her final moments.
“We were not ready for the physical cruelty that was done to you, baby girl. There was a minute we just stood there, not knowing where to start, my God, all those pre-wounds, those cigarette burns, your lip cracked open, carpet burns, all I heard in my head was you begging to stop, how much and how long did you cry and ask to stop, were you asking for Pops? When that punch landed on your face, did you fight back, or in that moment, you knew that it was over for you?” Mbali wrote.
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Anele Tembe’s sister didn’t stop there she went on to voice out her dissatisfaction with how South Africans handled the matter.
“Could see the injuries before and after, I know you tried to protect yourself, fingernails, said it all. Those minutes laying in that concrete alive, naked, broken, were you crying asking for help? I do pray that abakithi bebenawe [our ancestors be with you] on that side [of the] road, sis,” Mbali penned.
“I pray to God that when your soul and spirit left your body, you were not in so much pain. After all [is] said and done, in the end, no closure, in the end, we are tormented by South Africa, after all that evil deed, the majority chooses sides, after all that pain, after you were treated like a dog, women, fathers, sisters choose status over a soul that was brutally taken,” Mbali wrote.
Time is often said to heal wounds, but for Mbali and her family, the pain remains raw and unrelenting. Each thought of Anele brings a wave of agony, making it difficult to find solace. Mbali’s tribute reflects the struggle to remember her sister’s beautiful face without being haunted by the state she was in after her passing.
Despite the darkness that can engulf the world, Mbali’s words remind us of the profound love and connection shared between siblings. Anele Tembe’s memory lives on, not only in the hearts of her family but also in the collective consciousness of those touched by her story.
“They say time heals, I am not sure that applies to us, not sure if there [will] ever come a day where each thought of you doesn’t hurt so bad. Every day I tell myself that I will see your beautiful face in my thoughts, but all I see is the state you were in after your death,” Anele’s sister wrote in her post.
“I pray and try to visualise your beautiful smile, but all I see is your broken body. God knows I try every day, but I just can’t seem to restore your beautiful face baby girl. I knew and know now that the world can be dark,” Mbali’s tribute read.
Anele Tembe’s engagement to rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes added another layer of tragedy to her story. The Sim Dope hitmaker himself met a tragic end, assassinated outside a restaurant in Durban. The intertwining of their lives and their subsequent deaths only deepened the sorrow felt by their loved ones.
Moses Tembe, Anele’s father, was forced to issue a statement earlier this year, pleading with people to stop accusing him and his family of being linked to AKA’s murder. The pain endured by the Tembe family was compounded by the relentless accusations and the burden of grief they carried.
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Last year, a fresh investigation into Anele Tembe’s death was opened by the police. The National Prosecuting Authority had declined to prosecute AKA in 2022, but the Tembe family firmly believed that foul play was involved. They convinced the NPA to reconsider, leading to the reopening of the investigation.
Recently, a video allegedly showing Anele threatening to commit suicide at AKA’s home has emerged as crucial evidence in the inquest hearing into her death. The Cape Town Magistrate’s Court will examine this evidence, hoping to shed light on the circumstances surrounding her passing.
