Cape Town ETC, by Cameron Kelly
The 22-year-old died after falling from the 10th floor of the Pepper Club Hotel while staying there with her fiancé, rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes.
The circumstances surrounding her death have remained the subject of intense public interest and speculation. Now, testimony from police officers and an independent witness is placing some of the final moments before and after the fall on record.
The formal inquest took place on Monday, 7 September, in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court after the National Prosecuting Authority previously decided not to prosecute anyone and referred the matter for an inquest.
Reportedly, six witnesses have been subpoenaed to testify. Their evidence is expected to include accounts from investigators and other witnesses, as well as material such as cellphone records, witness statements and CCTV footage. One of the most significant accounts has come from an independent witness who lived in an apartment near the hotel. The witness reportedly told the court that he heard what appeared to be an argument between a man and a woman before hearing a woman shout, ‘leave me alone’ and ‘Get away from me’.
This was followed by what he described as a wailing sound and a loud bang. At first, he believed the noise could have been a gunshot. He went outside and saw Tembe lying on the ground. Initially believing she had died, he then noticed signs that she was still alive and contacted emergency services for assistance.
The account provides an independent perspective on the moments immediately preceding Tembe’s fall, although the inquest still has to consider the evidence as a whole.
The court has also heard from police officers who were among the first to arrive at the hotel. One officer said Forbes told him that he and Tembe had argued earlier that morning and that she had threatened to jump from the balcony.
According to the testimony, Forbes said he initially believed she was not serious. The officer said Forbes told him he went to the bathroom and, when he returned, Tembe was no longer inside the room or on the balcony. He then looked over the balcony and saw her on the ground.
Reportedly, another officer gave evidence about Forbes’s demeanour when police arrived. The officer described him as appearing composed and said alcohol could be smelled on him. When questioned about whether Forbes had cried, the officer cautioned that people respond differently to death and grief.
‘Mr Forbes was quite fine, but people react differently to loss of a loved one,’ he told the court.
The evidence about Forbes’s behaviour is likely to be closely scrutinised during the proceedings, particularly because the inquest is examining the circumstances surrounding Tembe’s death rather than simply recording the fact that she died.
