AKA’s father seeks truth as experts debate Tembe’s fall

Share current article via EmailShare current article via FacebookShare current article via TwitterShare current article via LinkedInYoliswa SobuwaSenior Reporter

Opens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowEnter fullscreen mode displaying this image.ExpandThis week, the Cape Town Regional Court heard two days of testimony in the inquest into the death of 22-year-old Anele Tembe, who fell from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in April 2021. Picture: Instagram Story audio is generated using AI

As forensic experts presented conflicting possibilities about whether Anele Tembe jumped or was pushed from a 10th-floor hotel balcony, the father of slain rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes said his family could not afford a prolonged legal battle but remained determined to see the truth emerge.

Tony Forbes, who attended this week’s proceedings at the Cape Town regional court, told reporters he had decided against having legal representation.

“I do not have resources for expensive [legal representation] to sustain such a long fight. But what I do have, and my family has, is the truth, and you guys play an important role in making sure that the truth comes out. There is nothing that can help me more than seeing the truth come out,” he said.

Wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with his son’s AKA stage name, Forbes exchanged jokes with journalists before proceedings began on Monday. Inside the courtroom, he followed the evidence closely, occasionally taking notes.

Tembe, 22, who was engaged to the award-winning rapper, fell from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town in the early hours of April 11 2021. AKA, who was staying with her at the hotel, was shot dead in Durban in February 2023.

Forbes said he was initially listed as a witness in the inquest but explained that provisions of the Inquests Act also allowed him — as a party with a specific interest in the outcome — to participate in the proceedings and examine witnesses.

“I hope I don’t have to be in court to question witnesses. However, I have been advised to raise any issues and discrepancies in written submissions and send them to the Western Cape National Prosecuting Authority,” he said.

Forbes said money that would otherwise be spent on lawyers could be put to better use covering school fees and other family responsibilities.

His comments came as the inquest heard forensic evidence about Tembe’s final moments, including the position of her footprints on the balcony, the distance her body travelled during the fall, and injuries found on AKA after her death.

Thirteen witnesses, among them hotel employees, police officers and medical specialists, have testified since the inquest began in September.

During the September hearings, witnesses described hearing a woman screaming, “Leave me alone, get away from me,” followed by a prolonged scream shortly before Tembe fell.

This week, seven witnesses — including senior police officials, forensic experts, a doctor, a toxicologist and a pathologist — gave evidence.

One of the central questions was whether Tembe jumped, slipped, or was pushed from the balcony.

Forensic analyst Lt-Col Jeremy Philander in the Cape Town regional court. He told the court he conducted reconstruction experiments to establish how Anele Tembe could have landed approximately 5.1m from the hotel wall. Picture: Yoliswa Sobuwa Lt-Col Jeremy Philander, a forensic analyst, told the court that he conducted reconstruction experiments on August 10 and 11 2021 to establish how Tembe could have landed approximately 5.1m from the hotel wall.

The experiments involved two anatomical dummies weighing 33.6kg and 44.8kg, designed to approximate Tembe’s body mass. A drone supplied by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology was used to record the tests.

Philander said the experiments examined flight time, impact velocity, force and trajectory under different scenarios.

An accidental slip resulted in a flight time of approximately 2.39 seconds, with the dummy landing about 1.9m from the wall — a result inconsistent with the physical evidence.

Other tests produced different landing distances, including 2.9m for a jump and 4.4m for a slight push.

A deliberate-push scenario produced a landing distance of approximately 5.1m, matching the distance recorded at the scene.

However, the court also heard that a jump involving sufficient forward movement could produce a trajectory similar to that of a push.

Philander explained that the physics of the fall alone could not conclusively establish whether Tembe had jumped or been pushed.

The court heard that a footprint identified on the outside edge of the balcony suggested Tembe had been facing towards the hotel room, with her back to the street.

A crime scene investigator testified that the positioning of the footprints did not establish that a struggle had occurred on the balcony. The absence of visible scuff marks or other disturbances was also discussed.

During questioning, Tembe’s family lawyer raised evidence of a possible altercation before the fall, including witness accounts of screams and injuries documented during medical examinations.

The forensic expert acknowledged that an altercation could not be excluded but said the available evidence did not establish that one had caused the fall.

The inquest also heard that AKA had multiple fresh scratches and bruises when he was medically examined after Tembe’s death.

A doctor described him as stressed and agitated, saying this had made it difficult to obtain a full account of how the injuries were sustained.

Toxicology evidence revealed cocaine-related substances, including cocaethylene, which is produced when cocaine and alcohol are consumed together, in Tembe’s body. The court also heard evidence of substances associated with antidepressant and antipsychotic medication.

A forensic pathologist testified that there was no clear evidence of strangulation. The pathologist attributed Tembe’s death to multiple blunt-force injuries sustained in the fall.

The inquest is expected to resume on November 17.

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