As the formal inquest into the tragic death of Anele “Nelli” Tembe approaches, her father, businessman Moses Tembe, has broken his silence for the first time. Anele, a 22-year-old woman, lost her life after falling from the 10th floor of the Pepper Club Hotel in Cape Town on April 11, 2021.
She was accompanied by her fiancé, rapper AKA, whose real name is Kiernan Forbes. It is worth noting that AKA himself was later murdered in Durban on February 10, 2023.
In a sit-down interview with SABC News reporter Chriselda Lewis at the Anele Tembe Library, located at her former high school, Durban Girls’ College, Moses Tembe expressed the difficulties of waiting to uncover the truth behind his daughter’s untimely demise.
“From what we heard as facts, that she was actually recognized or found by some other lady in the street… unattended to, one got a sense that there could be some foul play. But, one was not there. This matter is a subject of the inquest, and I truly believe that the process must be respected,” Tembe shared.
Tembe revealed that he and his family had anticipated a prosecution following Anele’s passing, but to their surprise, it never materialized. “We expected a prosecution, but obviously we were not judging anyone at the time.
We looked forward to that prosecution, which would have led to [our] closure,” he added. While some have speculated that AKA may have been responsible for Anele’s death, the Tembe family firmly opposes such claims.
Tembe emphasized the importance of having AKA present during the inquest, either as a witness or as an accused, for the sake of achieving proper closure. “To this day, I object to anyone who suggests that AKA killed our daughter. I’m saying we need to lead evidence, and the evidence will tell us exactly what happened,” asserted the grieving father.
“For the point, it was important to have Kienarn on the box whether as a witness or as an accused.”
EXCLUSIVE #AneleTembe#AKA
In the first-ever wide-ranging exclusive interview, Moses Tembe the father of late AKA’s fiance, the late Anele Tembe, speaks to me on the 3rd anniversary of his daughter’s death and the long wait for answers on how her body came to be found on the… pic.twitter.com/FP7BpBHHuW
— Chriselda Zozi Lewis (Babes Wendaba) (@Chriseldalewis) April 14, 2024
In 2022, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) ruled Anele’s death as a suicide, a conclusion that Anele’s family vehemently disputes. In response to the NPA’s findings, the Tembe family penned a scathing letter, highlighting alleged defensive marks on AKA’s body, particularly at the back.
These marks were described as evidence of Anele’s attempt to defend herself while AKA carried her on his shoulders. Additionally, the Tembes questioned the initial suggestion that Anele climbed over the balcony, pointing out the absence of fingerprints to support this theory.
They also claimed that AKA cleaned up the blood-soaked hotel room and only called reception for assistance after Anele had already fallen.
The letter further stated, “He did not attend to his injured fiancé, who remained alive for approximately 20 minutes. He did not go to perform CPR on her; instead, Stefanutto, a complete stranger, cared enough to administer CPR and call emergency services in an attempt to save Anele Tembe’s life.”
