Two years ago, Anele “Nellie” Tembe died after falling from a balcony at the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town. Or was she murdered? This is the question on everyone’s lips after her fiancée, Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, was killed on Florida Road in Durban on 10 February 2023.
Also read: Police probe death of AKA fiancée Anele Tembe
AKA was with Anele in the hotel room on the night she died. There was speculation that he pushed her, but no charges were made.
Now, the Tembe family says that “AKA killed Anele”.
A City Press report details the events that unfolded during and after the Pepperclub incident. Information was shared in a “scathing” letter, written by lawyers on behalf of the Tembe family.
They believe that AKA pushed Anele off the balcony, and spent time cleaning the hotel room before making an attempt to see if she had survived. The report states that Anele was alive for 20 minutes after she hit the ground.
The Tembe family also believes that the decision made by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to not charge AKA was influenced by fabricated and disregarded witness statements. This includes a phone call made to a hotel receptionist and a statement by Rob Stefanutto, who administered CPR on Anele.
Also read: Anele Tembe’s father claims against suicide
Stefanutto details hearing an argument between a man and a woman from the hotel room. His statement also includes that he heard Anele asking AKA to leave her alone.
Further, the lawyer’s letter says that AKA had defensive marks on his body, which were also ignored in the investigation.
The Tembe family also commented on AKA’s behaviour: not attending to Anele after she fell, cleaning blood in the hotel room, and partying and drinking with his friends following the passing of his fiancée.
Also read: AKA remembers Anele Tembe a year after her tragic death
This week, the NPA said that it did not prosecute AKA because the inquest into Anele’s death is still underway.
Read the full report by City Press here.
This week, Anele’s father denied accusations of involvement in AKA’s murder. The statement reads:
“It is with grave concern that my family and I have had to endure a flurry of posts on various social media platforms that accuse me and members of my family of being involved in the death of Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes.
“These accusations are untrue and without substance. I categorically state that my family feel the pain of the Forbes family and would never be involved in an abhorrent act of this nature.
“Whilst I value the principle of freedom of speech, these cruel and libellous utterances inflict personal and emotional harm on us.
“After having to deal with the tragedy of the untimely passing of our daughter, this senseless crime has taken a further emotional toll on us.
“I respectfully request the individuals making these baseless statements to refrain from doing so”.
Meanwhile, a memorial service is set to take place for AKA at the Sandton Convention Centre on Friday. This week, social media users were outraged by a scam whereby tickets could be purchased to attend his funeral. A private service will be held on Saturday.
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Picture: AKA / Instagram