The Cape Town Magistrate’s Court has begun the inquest into the death of Anele Tembe, 22, who fell from the 10th floor of the Pepper Club Hotel in Cape Town in April 2021.
The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding Tembe’s death and also whether anyone can be held responsible.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) previously decided not to prosecute anyone after investigating Tembe’s death, referring the matter for an inquest.
There has been widespread speculation over what transpired in that hotel room on that fateful day.
Six witnesses have been subpoenaed to testify during proceedings.
The court is expected to hear testimony from police investigators, forensic experts, and other witnesses. It is believed cell phone records, witness statements, and CCTV footage will be handed in as evidence before the court.
At the time of her death, Tembe was engaged to late rapper AKA, whose real name was Kiernan Forbes.
AKA’s family has welcomed the inquiry into Tembe’s death.
AKA’s father, Tony Forbes, previously said he remains convinced his son did not murder his fiancée. The rapper was in the room at the time of Tembe’s death, and said they had a heated argument that lasted for hours. He said at some point during the argument he removed himself from the situation and went into the bathroom. While he was away from her, Tembe threatened to jump and fell from the balcony before he could stop her.
AKA was himself killed on February 10, 2023 outside the Wish restaurant on Florida Road in Durban, along with his friend and celebrity chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane. The investigation into the incident later revealed that the assassination was a highly co-ordinated, well-funded contract killing. Seven people have been linked to the crime. The state says that the operation involved spotters, vehicle providers, hitmen, and a “paymaster”.
“All along, we’ve been waiting for the inquest to happen, so that the facts are put on the table in a balanced way. We are absolutely convinced that Kiernan did not murder his fiancée. And the information that we’ve had has proven that,” Forbes said.
He also debunked reports of new footage and information being obtained of the day of the incident. Forbes said the information that emerged was not new.
