The inquest into the death of Anele Tembe is expected to resume at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 19 October, with seven more witnesses scheduled to testify over the next three days.
The witnesses, including police officials and medical experts, are expected to provide further evidence about the circumstances surrounding Tembe’s death in April 2021. Some witnesses have reportedly objected to having their testimonies recorded.
Tembe, 22, died after falling from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town on 11 April 2021. She was engaged to rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, who was with her at the hotel shortly before the incident. Forbes was shot and killed in Durban in February 2023.
The inquest resumed in September, with witnesses giving differing accounts of the events leading up to Tembe’s fatal fall.
A witness who lived near the hotel testified that he heard what sounded like an argument between a man and a woman. He said he heard a woman shouting, “Leave me alone!” and “Get away from me!” before a scream and a loud bang.
A hotel employee also testified that she was speaking to Forbes over the telephone shortly before Tembe fell. She told the court that Forbes requested security assistance, saying someone was on the balcony and wanted to jump. She said she heard a scream followed by a loud bang while still on the call.
However, another hotel guest testified that he did not hear an argument before the fall. He said he woke after hearing a woman scream, followed by a loud noise, and later saw Tembe lying on the ground.
The court also heard testimony from the hotel’s general manager about an order for tequila shots allegedly requested by Forbes and members of his entourage after the incident. The manager said he had instructed staff not to fulfil the order due to the circumstances.
As proceedings continue this week, further testimony is expected to help the court establish what happened in the hours leading up to Tembe’s death.