Tony Forbes, the father of slain rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, has publicly released a series of WhatsApp messages exchanged between his son, Anele “Nellie” Tembe and the Tembe family’s lawyer, saying he believes they provide important context ahead of the long-awaited inquest into Tembe’s death.
The statement was released just days after renewed public attention on the case and follows the publication of investigative material relating to Tembe’s final days. The formal inquest into her death was due to begin this week before being postponed to September because of a medical emergency involving the presiding magistrate.
In his statement, Tony Forbes said he had reluctantly decided to make the messages public after years of remaining largely silent.
“On Sunday night I reluctantly made the decision to release various WhatsApp texts exchanged between Kiernan Forbes, Anele Thembe and the Thembe family lawyer at some point. I did it as his father. Not Lynn Forbes, nor Steffan Forbes. I could not save him but I can fight for his name and memory,” Forbe said.
“The texts in question were exchanged during and after the Hilton incident in Durban in December 2020. Over years, I have generally not responded to countless media stories, political speeches and allegations that Kiernan murdered Anele. I believed that the formal Inquest was the right place to respond. However, after continued character assassinations, I believed the time was right to put this information into the public domain. To bring balance. To bring fact. Not speculation. Not to create a false narrative. In short, the texts supports the NPA decision that there was no foul play. It also raises contradictions in relation to sworn affidavits in the docket. Amazingly these texts were never included in the case docket. These texts were on Kiernan’s phone all along. The investigating officer did not include it.”
“Read the texts and decide for yourself. Thank you for your continued and amazing support,” he concluded.
Forbes maintains that the messages support the National Prosecuting Authority’s earlier decision not to prosecute anyone over Tembe’s death. He further alleges that the conversations were present on AKA’s cellphone but were never included in the official police docket.
The release comes as the legal process surrounding Tembe’s death enters a new phase. Anele Tembe, 22, died on 11 April 2021 after falling from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town while she was staying there with her fiancé, AKA. The NPA previously declined to prosecute, citing insufficient evidence for criminal charges, but the matter was later referred for a formal inquest after persistent calls from the Tembe family for the circumstances of her death to be re-examined.
The inquest is intended to determine the circumstances surrounding Tembe’s death and whether anyone can be held legally responsible. It is not a criminal trial. Six witnesses are expected to testify when proceedings resume in September.
The case has remained one of South Africa’s most closely followed legal matters, with the Tembe family consistently disputing the conclusion that no prosecution should follow. They have argued that evidence pointing to possible foul play was overlooked and have sought further legal scrutiny through the inquest process.
The renewed attention also comes against the backdrop of AKA’s own death. On 10 February 2023, the award-winning rapper and his close friend, celebrity chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, were shot dead in a targeted attack outside a restaurant on Florida Road in Durban. The murders remain before the courts, with several suspects having been charged. There has been no evidence presented by authorities linking AKA’s murder to Anele Tembe’s death.
Tony Forbes said his decision to publish the WhatsApp exchanges was motivated by a desire to protect his son’s legacy after years of allegations, insisting he wants “fact, not speculation” to guide public discussion as the inquest proceeds.
