IOL, by Robin-Lee Francke
‘Leave me alone!’
This is what a witness testifying in the Anele Tembe inquest told the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court she heard from Tembe and Kiernan “AKA” Forbes’ hotel room the night she fell to her death .
Three witnesses took the stand on Wednesday. The inquest began on Monday, when six people testified. However, due to witnesses being unavailable, the court postponed proceedings until Wednesday.
During proceedings, an order was delivered by the magistrate that no livestreaming, filming, recording, or naming of the witnesses was allowed unless the witnesses allowed it.
Tembe, 22, fell to her death from the 10th floor of the Pepper Club Hotel in Cape Town in April 2021. At the time of her death, Tembe was engaged to the late rapper AKA.
One witness testified she heard hysterical screams from the couple’s room. She said within minutes of the woman shouting “leave me alone”, there was a loud bang. Thereafter, she heard a man screaming.
Another witness, a guest at the hotel, also took the stand and said he recognised the late rapper on the balcony of his room as he frequented the hotel.
He further testified he heard a woman scream and heard a bang. He thought it was a vehicle accident; however, when he went out on his balcony, he saw Tembe’s body on the ground. The court heard AKA had gone out to the balcony as if he was looking for somebody, leaned over the railing, and saw Tembe’s body on the ground. The court heard AKA start shouting: “Oh my God”. The witness told the court it was he who called the ambulance in the wake of the incident. It has been widely reported that the couple had an argument the night of the incident.
Testimony heard in court was that during the argument, Tembe had thrown her engagement ring at AKA; this prompted the rapper to get a separate room for himself.
An employee of the Pepper Club Hotel also testified that AKA had called the front desk, seeking security because someone was on the balcony.
The inquest has been postponed to October 19 for more witnesses to take the stand. AKA was gunned down on Florida Road in Durban on February 10, 2023. The rapper, along with his friend, celebrity chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, was killed outside the Wish restaurant.
Seven suspects have since been linked to the assassination and remain behind bars.
