Online Reporter
Tony Forbes, father of slain rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes has broken his silence on why he released private WhatsApp messages allegedly exchanged between AKA, Anele Tembe, and the Tembe family’s lawyer.
This comes following the postponement of an inquest into Tembe’s death due to a medical emergency involving the presiding magistrate.
In a statement posted on social media, Tony said he had been reluctant to make the messages public, explaining that he did not want to “save” his son’s reputation but rather defend his name and memory.
“I could not save him but I can fight for his name and memory,” he wrote.
According to Tony, the messages were allegedly exchanged between AKA, Anele and the Tembe family’s lawyer during and after the Hilton Hotel incident in Durban in December 2020.
For years, AKA faced public scrutiny following Tembe’s death in April 2021 after she fell from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town. In 2023, the National Prosecuting Authority announced that it would not prosecute the rapper, citing insufficient evidence to secure a successful prosecution.
In his latest statement, Tony said he chose to remain silent for years despite media reports, political commentary and allegations surrounding his son’s alleged involvement in Tembe’s death. However, he now believes releasing the messages is in the public interest.
He claims the conversations support the NPA’s decision not to prosecute AKA and reveal contradictions between two witness affidavits contained in the case 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,” Tony alleged.
He added that his intention is not to create a false narrative but to provide balance and allow the public to examine the information for themselves.
“Read the texts and decide for yourself,” he concluded.
The authenticity and legal significance of the conversations have not been independently verified. Neither the Tembe family nor the National Prosecuting Authority had publicly responded to the claims at the time of publication.
The inquest and a report by News24 have brought attention to the high-profile case
The inquest was set to run for three days in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court and will now be heard on September 7, 8, 9, 15 and 16.
Six witnesses have been subpoenaed to testify about the circumstances surrounding Anele’s death – IOL
