By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
It has been over a year since the death of Anele Tembe – and police are still nowhere closer to piecing together her final moments.
Tembe, 22, fell to her death from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Loop Street, Cape Town, during the early hours of 11 April last year.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), following Anele’s death, police had registered an inquest docket whereafter extensive investigation was conducted to determine whether her death was caused by any “criminal conduct on the part of any person.”
The NPA’s decision was that there should be an inquest into Tembe’s death, after expert opinions pointed to no grounds for a prosecution.
“The matter was referred to the NPA, who in turn returned the matter to the South African Police Service for further investigation.
Eric Ntabazalila, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in the Western Cape, says Advocate Nicolette Bell, the director of public prosecutions (DPP) in the Western Cape, considered the merits of the matter, as well as various reports presented to her by her staff.”
In the months that followed, the DPP was advised that Tembe’s family wished to make representations regarding her decision to the national director of public prosecutions (NDPP).
As a result, the inquest regarding the death of Tembe was delayed pending representations to the NDPP, he said.
Subsequently, an application for access to the docket was served on the NPA in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) after an initial request to have access to the docket was denied.
“At the time of Kiernan “AKA” Forbes’ death, the PAIA application was pending and the attorneys appearing for Tembe’s family had not lodged their representations to the NDPP.”
AKA was gunned down outside a popular restaurant in Durban on Friday evening, a fatal shooting that also resulted in the death of his lifelong friend Tebello Motsoane.
Meanwhile speculation has been rife about who may have ordered what looks like a hit on AKA. Chief among the suspects that social media users listed was Moses Tembe, the father of AKA’s late fiancé.
Tembe had to issue a statement expressing his thoughts and feelings about AKA’s murder.
“The Tembe family would like to extend our deepest condolences to the Forbes family on the passing of their beloved son Kiernan.
“It is with shock that we have learnt of Kiernan’s passing. As a parent, I feel deep pain for Kiernan’s parents, Tony and Lynn, his daughter Kairo and the family at large,” read part of the statement issued in the wake of accusations pointing a finger at the Tembe family.
He also hailed the late rapper for being an extraordinarily talented musician who “contributed meaningfully to South Africa and indeed Africa’s rich music tapestry”.
Tembe further called on the country to show the Forbes family compassion during this time.