An order for tequila shooters was requested at the Pepperclub Hotel on the morning Anele Tembe fell to her death from the 10th floor, the inquest into the 22-year-old’s death heard on Wednesday.
The order was allegedly made by her fiancé, late rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, and members of his entourage, according to evidence presented to the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.
The hotel manager told the inquest that the request was made about two hours after Tembe’s fatal fall, but that the tequila shooter order was refused.
The evidence adds another detail to proceedings examining the events surrounding Tembe’s death on 11 April 2021.
Inquest examines final hours
Tembe died after falling from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town, where she had been staying with Forbes.
The formal inquest resumed this week after more than five years. Its purpose is to establish when and how Tembe died and whether her death was caused or contributed to by negligence, an unlawful act or an omission by another person.
The proceedings are not a criminal trial and the evidence being heard should not be treated as a finding that anyone caused Tembe’s death.
The court has also imposed restrictions on the proceedings, including prohibiting the livestreaming, filming or recording of the evidence and protecting the identities of witnesses unless they consent to being named.
Witness describes screams before fall
Earlier testimony painted a disturbing picture of the moments immediately before Tembe went over the balcony.
An independent witness who lived near the hotel told the court that he heard what sounded like an argument between a man and a woman.
He then heard a woman shouting: “Leave me alone” and “Get away from me”, followed by wailing and a loud bang.
The witness rushed outside and found Tembe lying on the pavement. He initially believed she was dead but noticed signs that she was still alive and attempted to assist her while emergency services were contacted.
The witness later testified that Tembe blinked when he asked her to do so if she could hear him.
Hotel employee heard AKA’s frantic call
A hotel employee also gave evidence about a call she received shortly before the fall.
She testified that a man she recognised as Forbes called reception asking for security because someone was on the balcony.
According to the witness, Forbes sounded panicked during the call.
Regarding Forbes’ account to police: Forbes reportedly told an officer that he and Tembe had argued that morning and that Tembe had threatened to jump. The officer’s evidence was that Forbes believed she was “just playing”.
While she was speaking to him, she heard a scream followed by a loud bang. A colleague then looked outside and saw Tembe lying on the ground. Hotel staff subsequently went outside and covered her with a sheet while assistance was awaited.
The testimony places Forbes in direct contact with hotel staff immediately before Tembe’s fall and forms part of the court’s examination of the sequence of events inside Room 1004.
Police detail what they found in the room
A police warrant officer previously told the inquest that Forbes had described an argument between himself and Tembe before her fall.
According to the officer, Forbes told police that Tembe had threatened to jump from the balcony but that he believed she was “just playing”. The officer also testified about an earlier incident involving Tembe at the Durban Hilton in December 2020.
“Leave me alone, get away from me.” He said this was followed by wailing and then a loud bang.
Police who entered the hotel room after the incident described it as being in disarray.
Evidence included bloodstains on bedding and towels, as well as a champagne bottle with what appeared to be blood around its neck. Police also reported blood in parts of the room and items scattered around.
The evidence is now being considered alongside accounts from hotel staff, neighbours and other witnesses as the court attempts to reconstruct the final moments before Tembe’s death.
The unanswered questions
The tequila order is likely to attract attention because of its timing, but its significance remains a matter for the inquest to determine.
The court will have to consider the evidence as a whole rather than isolated details, including the argument, the alleged threats to jump, Forbes’s call for security, the witnesses who heard screams and the condition of the hotel room.
The inquest is also taking place against the backdrop of the deaths of both Tembe and Forbes. Forbes was killed in a shooting outside a Durban restaurant in February 2023, nearly two years after Tembe’s death.
The Tembe family has previously disputed suggestions that Anele had suicidal tendencies and has sought clarity over the circumstances surrounding her death.
More witnesses are expected to testify as the inquest continues. The proceedings are scheduled to resume later this month as the court works towards establishing the circumstances and possible causes surrounding Tembe’s fatal fall.
