Police Witness Says AKA Appeared Composed After Anele Tembe’s Death

A police witness has told the inquest into Anele Tembe’s death that her fiancé, rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, appeared composed when officers arrived at the Cape Town hotel where she had fallen to her death.

Tembe, 22, died in April 2021 after falling from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town, where she had been staying with Forbes.

The circumstances surrounding her death are being examined at the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court. Six witnesses are expected to testify on Monday, although the court has ruled that their identities may not be disclosed.

Police Officer Describes Forbes’ Reaction

The second witness, a Cape Town police officer who deals with unnatural deaths, was among the first officers to arrive at the hotel.

The officer told the court that Forbes said he and Tembe had been involved in a verbal altercation earlier that morning.

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According to the witness, Forbes told police that Tembe had threatened to jump from the balcony. He also reportedly told officers that he did not believe she would actually carry out the threat.

The warrant officer said Forbes appeared composed when police arrived and that officers could smell alcohol on him.

The Tembe family's lawyer asked the witness about Forbes' emotional state following Tembe's death.

“What was the late Mr Forbes’s mood like, did he cry?” the lawyer asked.

“He didn’t look sad, to be honest; he looked quite fine,” the witness replied.

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The officer cautioned that people respond differently when dealing with the death of someone close to them.

“I’ve dealt with a lot of cases, some people will cry, others will be quiet,” he said. “Mr Forbes was quite fine, but people react differently to loss of a loved one.”

Hotel Room Described As Disorganised

The witness also gave evidence about the condition of the hotel room where Forbes and Tembe had been staying.

He described the room as dirty and said items were lying around.

A bloodstain was found on the bed, while a champagne bottle was found on a chair, according to his testimony.

“The whole room was very disorganised; it was a mess,” the witness told the court.

Forbes’ Account Of The Altercation

The witness said Forbes told police that he and Tembe had argued on the morning of the incident and that Tembe had threatened to jump from the balcony.

The Tembe family's lawyer asked whether Forbes had told police that he had tried to persuade Tembe not to jump.

The witness said Forbes had not mentioned anything of that nature in his account to police.

The evidence forms part of the inquest's examination of the circumstances surrounding Tembe's death. The testimony heard so far does not, by itself, establish how or why she fell from the hotel.