Prominent Durban businessman has emerged as the key suspect in the assassination of celebrated rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes.
AKA was brutally murdered outside Wish Restaurant on Florida Road in Durban city on 10 February 2023.
Since news of AKA’s passing, Durban businessman Moses Tembe’s name has been dragged into the assassination as many suspect he ordered the hit.
Moses Tembe is the father of AKA’s fiancée Anele “Nelli” Tembe who tragically died in April 2021 at a hotel in Cape Town.
Anele died when she fell from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town. According to reports from paramedics, she allegedly jumped from the tenth floor of the hotel.
AKA was blamed by some people for allegedly causing his fiancée’s death.
It has now emerged that the slain rapper was warned several times not to visit Durban again after the passing of his fiancée.
Some people believe that Anele’s father put a hit on AKA.
However, the Durban businessman strongly denied allegations that he ordered for AKA to be assassinated.
“Anyone who truly knows me and our family would not spread such rumours. We’ve never judged Kiernan. We demonstrated our love for him to the very last day,” Tembe said.
The business tycoon also shared that he sent AKA’s parents — Lynn and Tony Forbes — his condolences and they responded with gratitude.
In his text, he added that he would like to visit the Forbes to convey his sympathies.
“We feel so much pain for you Antonio, Lynn, Kairo and family. Princess and I would like to visit home and convey condolences in person. Kindly forward address and most convenient time to meet you and family.”
Tembe described AKA as an “extraordinarily talented musician.”
“His music contributed meaningfully to South Africa’s rich musical tapestry. We extend our condolences to his extended family, his fans.
“We’re so saddened by this sad eventuality as it robs us of the opportunity that we’ve been waiting for so patiently to vindicate our daughter in court or in an inquest,” he said.
Moses Tembe’s denial comes even as damning details emerged showing the Anele’s family blamed AKA for her death.
The explosive details are contained in a scathing letter which was written on behalf of the family by their lawyers TM Incorporated Attorneys to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Western Cape after it declined to prosecute the rapper following an investigation into Anele’s death in June last year.
Anele’s family believe that the rapper pushed or threw her from the balcony of their hotel room at the Pepper Club hotel in Cape Town.
The Tembes also believe that AKA did not attend to Anele who was alive 20 minutes after she landed on the ground, but instead cleaned the hotel room which had blood and then went ahead to party with his friends after her passing.
The letter was written two weeks after the Tembe family was informed in a meeting with the NPA that they would not be prosecuting AKA.
In the letter, the lawyers tell the prosecuting authority that the Tembes did not agree with the NPA’s decision not to prosecute the rapper, stating that there was ample evidence to go ahead with prosecuting him.
The family argued that the decision by the NPA was based on a fabricated statement made by a receptionist at the hotel. They also state that the decision was based on a fabricated statement by the rapper.
The lawyers wrote that the NPA disregarded crucial evidence which contradicted the one which was at the disposal of the investigators.
“The call that Forbes (AKA) made to the reception was made after Anele Tembe had already landed on the ground. The video footage that captured her fall records a time that is prior to the call that Forbes made to the reception of the hotel. The evidence in the form of the record of the call and the video footage, which are contained in the docket were shockingly ignored. The receptionist is easily contradicted by that,” the letter reads in part.
The family also stated that the investigators ignored a statement by a crucial witness, Rob Stefanutto, who stated that he heard an argument from the rapper’s room between a male and a female.
The family said during the argument “the lady, who later turned out to be Anele Tembe, was heard desperately asking the attacker, being male, to leave her alone. Moments thereafter Stefanutto heard Anele Tembe drop, he then administered CPR on her”.
The lawyers state that the officials investigating the case were not aware of the statement by Stefanutto and reacted with shock when the family raised this in the meeting with the NPA on June 1 last year.
The family also said that there was blood found in the hotel room, which indicated that there was an assault on Anele prior to her killing.
“The scratch marks on Forbes body, specifically at the back, which scratch marks were defensive marks, in an upward direction, indicating that Forbes was carrying Anele on his shoulders while she attempted to defend herself. The scratch marks are indicative that Forbes threw her over the balcony,” the letter reads.
The family also indicated that the investigators ignored evidence relating to how Anele landed on the ground.
The deceased landed at a distance that is consistent with a person that was pushed. She landed approximately five and a half meters away from the building, whereas if she had jumped on her own, she would have landed approximately two meters away from the building.
They also indicated that there were no fingerprints on the balustrade of the balcony, demonstrating her action of climbing over.
“The absence of such fingerprints demonstrates the fact that she was pushed or thrown over,”
The family also stated that the rapper’s conduct after Anele’s passing was unbecoming.
“He did not attend to his injured fiancé, who remained alive for approximately 20 minutes. He did not go to perform CPR on her instead Stefanutto, a complete stranger, cared enough to administer CPR and call emergency services, in an attempt to save Anele Tembe’s life… Forbes cleaned up the hotel room. There was blood on the towels… Forbes partied and drank at the hotel with his entourage following the passing of his fiancé.”
This week, NPA confirmed that they declined to prosecute AKA on the matter and said the case was still pending as the inquest into her passing was still being investigated.
Anele’s brother Vukile Tembe speaking in a recent interview after AKA’s murder also rubbishes claims that his sister committed suicide.
“There are several rumours on social media Nelli committed suicide I am simply not entertaining them,” he said.
The 31-year-old adds that the Tembe family are fed up with the speculations about his sister’s death.
Additional reporting by News24.
