The father of rapper AKA, real name Kiernan Forbes, has admonished the former minister of police, Bheki Cele, for insinuating that his late son murdered his fiancée, Anele Tembe.
This comes after the retired minister hinted at foul play in the death of the 22-year-old woman.
In 2021, Anele – the daughter of businessman Moses Tembe – suffered a fatal fall off the tenth floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town. Two years later, AKA was shot and killed in a hit in Durban. Five suspects charged with his murder will go on trial next year.
AKA’S DAD HITS BACK AT BHEKI CELE’S CLAIMS
In an interview with eNCA, Tony Forbes – the father of AKA – shared his views about Bheki Cele’s comments on Anele Tembe’s death.
He said: “The ex minister’s words carry weight…..It just reopened the wounds. Kiernan was spoken of as a murderer. It’s very unfair, it’s hurtful, he’s not here to defend himself”.
Of Anele’s death, Forbes added: “Kiernan passed away before the inquest happened. The inquest is still supposed to happen, so that there is a balanced and not one-sided discussion.
“There’s no doubt that Kiernan was not a murderer…There’s not a day that I don’t still think about both of them. Two weeks before Anele died, Kiernan went and asked for her hand in marriage.
“Kiernan was not an aggressive person. Kiernan would never have done that. He did not murder her, he did not kill her, he did not harm her.”
WHAT ANELE TEMBE’S FATHER SAID
While AKA’s father has disputed Bheki Cele’s comments, Anele Tembe’s father has spoken of his suspicions.
In Melinda Ferguson’s book When Love Kills: The Tragic Tale of AKA and Anele, Moses claimed that their family had “strong evidence” suggesting that his daughter had not taken her own life while in the company of her fiancé.
According to Moses’s account, as written in the book, on the eve of his daughter’s funeral, he received a preliminary police report relating to her death.
He said: “I got the reports that gave me the full evidence of what had really happened on the night before my daughter’s funeral.
“Look, it was 99% sure that Anele did not kill herself.
Images via X
In a leaked letter to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Tembe family documented the “evidence” that they believed AKA had “pushed” Anele off the balcony.
According to the Citizen, the letter had damning accusations against AKA and his alleged involvement in Anele’s death.
This included reports of:
- Blood in the Pepperclub Hotel room and on clothing, and scratches on AKA’s back, indicating a violent altercation between the couple.
- Blood found on towels, alluding that AKA had “cleaned up” after Anele’s fall.
- No fingerprint evidence on the balcony, which Anele was reported to have climbed over.
- Forensic evidence that Anele landed a distance away from the hotel, indicating that she had been pushed and not jumped.
Sharing his “theory” in the book, Moses Tembe said: “I believe Anele ended the relationship with him… Controlling men can’t handle women who stand up to them”.
