Anele Tembe inquest set to begin more than five years after her death
A formal inquest into the death of 22-year-old Anele Tembe is expected to begin today, Monday at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court, more than five years after she fell from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town.
The proceedings are scheduled for 7 to 9 September and 15 and 16 September, with six witnesses subpoenaed to testify.
The inquest was due to begin in July but was postponed after the presiding magistrate was unavailable because of an unavoidable medical emergency.
Tembe, the daughter of KwaZulu-Natal businessman Moses Tembe, died on 11 April 2021 after falling from the hotel’s 10th floor. She was engaged to rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, who was with her at the hotel shortly before her death. AKA was shot and killed in Durban in February 2023.
The National Prosecuting Authority decided in 2022 not to prosecute anyone following an investigation it described as inconclusive. The matter was later referred for an inquest. The NPA has said the outcome of the inquest could determine whether further prosecutorial action is warranted.
The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding Tembe’s death and whether anyone can be held legally responsible. Evidence expected to be considered includes police and forensic evidence, CCTV footage, cellphone records and witness statements.
Tembe’s family has disputed claims that she had suicidal tendencies, while AKA denied involvement in her death before he was killed.
The circumstances surrounding her death have remained the subject of public debate, with recently reported CCTV footage and text messages expected to draw further scrutiny during the proceedings.
The Tembe family has said it hopes the inquest will provide answers about what happened.
