In Cape Town, South Africa, during an inquest into the circumstances of Anele Tembe’s death, a witness stated that he saw rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes on the balcony seconds after his fiancée fell from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub hotel. As Daily Maverick reports, Tembe died on April 11, 2021, at the age of 22.
Hotel guest’s testimony
An anonymous witness, referred to in the inquest materials as Witness 9, was staying in room 1101, from which room 1004 and its balcony were visible. According to him, at around 7:30, he heard a scream and a loud impact, after which he went out onto the balcony.
The witness said he saw Forbes leave the room, approach the balcony and look down. According to his testimony, the rapper exclaimed: “Oh my God, oh my God.” The man also gestured to Forbes that he would call an ambulance. He clarified that “a few seconds” passed between the scream and Forbes appearing on the balcony.
Forbes had previously told police that he and Tembe had argued and that she had threatened to jump. According to his version, he went to the bathroom, and when he returned, Tembe was no longer on the balcony.
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Alcohol order and further proceedings
Another anonymous female witness stated that at around 9:00, she heard a telephone order for tequila shots to room 1005, which was also occupied by Forbes’ team. The alcohol was not delivered: Pepperclub’s general manager said that he instructed staff not to fulfill the order after learning who it was intended for.
Tembe’s death was initially treated as a suicide. The current inquest is to establish the circumstances of her fall and determine whether the evidence supports such a conclusion. The court has yet to hear, among other things, the results of bloodstain pattern analysis and autopsy data. The hearing was postponed until October 19, 2026, due to witness availability schedules and the South African police’s preparation of relevant reports.
Kiernan Forbes and Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane were shot dead in Durban in February 2023. The trial of seven men in the case of their murders is scheduled for October 2026.
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