“She would likely be able to climb over a balcony” – Cocaine, alcohol and depression meds found in Anele Tembe’s body by toxicologist

Cocaine, alcohol-related substances and compounds associated with antidepressants and antipsychotic medication were detected in the body of Anele Tembe, the late fiancée of slain rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, the Cape Town Regional Court has heard.

The findings emerged during testimony by a toxicologist at the inquest into Tembe’s death on Tuesday, 20 October, as the court continues to examine the circumstances surrounding the 22-year-old’s fatal fall from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town on 11 April 2021.

According to evidence reported from the proceedings, 0.2mg of cocaine was detected in Tembe’s stomach, while cocaine and its breakdown products were identified in other samples taken from her body.

The evidence comes more than five years after her death, with questions about what happened inside the hotel room she shared with AKA still unresolved.

What the toxicologist found in Anele’s body

The toxicologist, who testified as the sixth witness during the formal inquest, told the court that testing identified cocaine, norcocaine and cocaethylene in samples collected from Tembe.

Cocaethylene is a substance formed when cocaine and alcohol are consumed together, while norcocaine is a product of cocaine metabolism.

“There was cocaethylene and norcocaine found in the stomach, blood and the eye. Cocaethylene happens when cocaine is mixed with alcohol. Other substances identified included a breakdown product of antidepressants and an antipsychotic medication,” the toxicologist testified, according to court reporting by TimesLIVE.

The expert explained that his role was to identify substances present in the samples. He said determining the combined physiological effects of the substances, including whether their combination could have been lethal, fell outside his area of expertise.

The findings also did not establish precisely when Tembe had consumed cocaine.

The evidence is significant to the inquest’s examination of her condition before the fall. However, the detection of these substances does not, on its own, establish how she came to fall from the hotel balcony or determine whether another person was involved.

Pathologist finds no clear evidence of strangulation

Further evidence reported on Wednesday, 21 October, concerned injuries identified during Tembe’s post-mortem examination.

A forensic pathologist told the inquest that there was no clear evidence of strangulation, despite injuries found on the front of Tembe’s neck.

The pathologist said the examination revealed no fractures to the hyoid bone or thyroid cartilage, and no fingertip bruising typically associated with strangulation.

She identified two areas of injury involving underlying neck muscles and said these could have resulted from suction, friction or compression.

“It could be possible that the wound could be caused during the fall. I did not see the entire trajectory of the fall,” she told the court.

The pathologist also testified that tree branches and leaves were found in Tembe’s hair and on her body, suggesting she may have struck a tree during the fall. Her cause of death was attributed to multiple blunt-force injuries.

The court heard that Tembe’s blood alcohol concentration was consistent with a level associated with being under the influence of alcohol, rather than severe intoxication.

“In my opinion, she would likely be able to climb over a balcony. She was not stuporous or comatose with that level of blood alcohol,” the pathologist said, while acknowledging that alcohol affects individuals differently.

The medical evidence does not settle whether Tembe jumped, fell accidentally or was pushed.

What Anele’s father, Moses Tembe, said about his daughter

Since losing his daughter, businessman Moses Tembe has repeatedly called for answers about the circumstances surrounding her death.

In April 2024, he told SABC News that he suspected foul play, while stressing that the matter was before the inquest and that the legal process had to be respected.

“From what we’ve heard as facts, that she was actually recognised by or found out by some other lady in the street and so on and on, you know, unattended to. One got a sense that there could be some foul play, but one was not there,” he said.

He added: “This matter is a subject of the inquest. I truly believe that the process must be respected. It would be amiss of me to get into the details of the inquest.”

In a statement issued in February 2023 following AKA’s murder, Moses said the rapper’s death had robbed his family of the opportunity to establish what happened to Anele.

“Kiernan’s murder has robbed me and my family of the opportunity to get to the bottom of what happened at the Pepperclub Hotel on the fateful night that Anele died – something that I and my family have been fighting for over the last 22 months,” he said.

He also rejected claims that his daughter had been suicidal, stating that his family believed she had not harboured suicidal thoughts.

“Ever since the devastating loss of my beloved daughter, Anele, in April 2021, I have sought to get to the truth behind the events that led to her untimely and premature death,” he said.

The family has maintained that it wants the circumstances surrounding her death properly investigated.

Tony Forbes, AKA’s father, has also expressed concern about how evidence has been examined during the inquest.

Speaking after proceedings on Monday, 19 October, he questioned whether discrepancies in witness testimony and forensic findings were being adequately scrutinised.

Among the issues raised were the scratches and bruises observed on AKA’s body after Tembe’s death, as well as forensic evidence concerning the position of a footprint found on the outside edge of the hotel balcony railing.

Tony said he was disappointed that some of the evidence had not been questioned more thoroughly.

“We just seem to be going through the motions,” he said.

He also described the difficulty of establishing what happened when both people who were central to the events are now dead.

“Neither of them are here so it is a puzzle,” he said.

The inquest previously heard evidence from forensic analysts who examined possible scenarios involving an accidental fall, a jump or a push. The experts’ reconstructions examined the distance Tembe travelled from the hotel wall, but the findings have not conclusively established which scenario occurred.

AKA, whose real name was Kiernan Forbes, was shot dead outside a restaurant on Florida Road in Durban on 10 February 2023. His friend, celebrity chef and businessman Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, was also killed in the shooting.

The killings prompted a major police investigation and subsequent court proceedings against accused individuals in the double murder case.

AKA’s death also complicated the search for answers about Tembe’s death, as he had been with her at the hotel in April 2021 and could have provided his account of what happened before her fatal fall.

The inquest into Tembe’s death is a separate legal proceeding from the criminal case concerning the murders of AKA and Tibz. Its purpose is to examine the circumstances surrounding her death and establish relevant facts.

The toxicology and pathology evidence now forms part of a broader body of testimony being considered by the court.

For both families, the central questions remain what happened in the hours before Tembe’s death and whether the available evidence can establish the circumstances that led to the tragedy.