Former Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, has insinuated that not only was Anele Tembe – the girlfriend of rapper AKA, real name Kiernan Forbes, was murdered – but that there was foul play involved in the investigation of her death.
The retired minister made the comments in this week’s Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing alleged police corruption.
In 2021, Anele – the daughter of businessman Moses Tembe – suffered a fatal fall off the tenth floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town. At the time of her death, the couple, allegedly under the influence of substances, had a heated altercation.
Two years later, AKA was killed in a hail of bullets in an alleged assassination in Durban. The trial of the five suspects charged will begin in July 2026.
BHEKI CELE SAYS POLICE BELIEVE ANELE TEMBE WAS MURDERED
Speaking at Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing alleged police corruption, former Minister of Police Bheki Cele delved into details surrounding Anele Tembe’s death.
He said of Western Cape policing: “There is an inquest in the death of Moses Tembe’s daughter. The police did the investigation, and they believed that the daughter was murdered.
The retired minister insisted that police investigators had done their job, but prosecutors were lacking.
He continued: “They went time and time again to the prosecutor for the things to be enrolled. They would say ‘go back, dot the i’s and cross the t’s’. Until they said, if you can’t do it, give us a [death] certificate. I went to the president personally and said the minister of police is going to do something funny, you need to support the private prosecution. The prosecutor refused to give a [death] certificate
“They can’t prosecute and they can’t give a [death] certificate, so they’re stuck in the middle. Now, I know in that inquest, the magistrate is asking questions… we should ask the prosecutors.”
INQUEST AND INVESTIGATION
In the months that followed Anele Tembe’s death, AKA was accused of being involved, a claim he vehemently denied. At the time of his own death, a leaked letter to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) revealed how the Tembe family suspected the rapper of foul play.
According to Sunday World, the NPA responded with news that Anele’s death would be revisited. They also claimed that the family “made representations” questioning their initial decision not to prosecute anyone following their inquest.
Speaking to The South African last year, Western Cape police spokesperson Captain Frederick Van Wyk stated that the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Anele Tembe was never closed and is still active.
Images via Instagram:
@akaworldwide/ Pepperclub Hotel
He said: “The Investigation has been completed. The family of Anele Tembe has been updated constantly on the progress made in the case. To date, the investigating officer remains in contact with the family”.
The inquest was set to indicate whether any criminal offense occurred and if this was the reason for Anele’s death.
NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila told The South African that a pre-trial in the inquest would be held on 15 April 2024, a date which has come and gone.
