Forbes family releases AKA-Tembe texts as inquest hits a snag

The family of slain rapper, Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, has released a series of text messages involving the late musician, his late fiancée Anele Tembe and a Tembe family lawyer, saying the exchanges support their belief that AKA played no role in her death.

The messages were made public after video footage, believed to show the couple’s final moments before Tembe’s fatal fall from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town in April 2021, surfaced online.

Here is the video from News24

(Final Moments | Anele Tembe: A visual investigation) pic.twitter.com/Fm8oIi5OUB

— small waist, pretty face 🫦 (@oddettem) July 12, 2026

AKA’s father, Tony Forbes, described the footage as “nothing new”, saying the family felt compelled to respond following renewed public speculation surrounding the case.

He said the released messages include conversations in which Tembe allegedly expressed suicidal thoughts, as well as text exchanges between AKA and a Tembe family lawyer following an earlier incident at the Hilton Hotel, where Tembe allegedly threatened to jump from a building.

“We have texts between Kiernan and Anele where she talks about wanting to kill herself. There are also texts between Kiernan and the family lawyer on the day of the Hilton incident. The narrative in the docket is that Kiernan and his road manager were pursuing and threatening Anele, which is why she ran. The text messages prove that there was communication between Kiernan and the family lawyer, while Kiernan was in another room. He wasn’t even staying at the hotel,” Forbes said.

The Forbes family has now asked the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to consider the text messages as part of the inquest into the circumstances surrounding Tembe’s death, arguing that the evidence should be tested in court rather than debated on social media.

“We are absolutely convinced that Kiernan did not murder his girlfriend. The inquest is part of the process and has to run its course. It’s important that the facts are placed before the court in a balanced way,” he said.

A three-day formal inquest into Tembe’s death, which was due to begin on Monday in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court, has been postponed after the presiding magistrate suffered an “unavoidable medical emergency”. 

Proceedings will now take place from 7 to 9 September, before resuming on 15 and 16 September.

Six witnesses are expected to testify as the court examines the circumstances surrounding Tembe’s death. A previous police investigation found no evidence of foul play, and the NPA declined to prosecute anyone in connection with the matter.

Meanwhile, Western Cape NPA spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, said prosecutors are waiting confirmation on whether the Forbes family will appoint new legal representatives after two of their lawyers withdrew from the case, and whether they intend call any witnesses.

“Once the inquest is concluded, the findings will be submitted to the National Prosecuting Authority, which will decide whether there is a basis for prosecution,” said Ntabazalila.

The inquest comes more than two years after AKA was shot dead in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal in February 2023.

His murder case is set to return to the High Court for a pre-trial hearing in August.

Anele Tembe was a ticking time bomb which the Tembe family wanted AKA to keep.

Now the bomb has exploded they’re painting Kiernan as the terrorist.

Moses Tembe you will have to ask your friend Bheki Cele to appear at the #MadlangaCommission this time not Ad Hoc Committee pic.twitter.com/FQaA3BbVHw

— Wise (@wise30152072) July 13, 2026

Uncle Tony AKA’s father on Instagram abt Anele Tembe’s video pic.twitter.com/20faBqSLaL

— Uncle (@FusionistRSA) July 10, 2026