AKA’s Messages To Tembe Family Lawyer Revealed At Anele Tembe Inquest. New evidence has emerged at the inquest into the death of Anele Tembe, with text messages presented in court offering a deeper look into the troubled final months of her relationship with late rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes.
As proceedings got underway at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday, July 13, 2026, eNCA revealed a series of text exchanges that could become a significant part of the inquest. The messages, which are expected to be examined alongside testimony from six witnesses, have renewed public interest in one of South Africa’s most closely followed legal proceedings.
Among the most striking evidence are messages from December 11, 2020, several months before Tembe’s death at Cape Town’s Pepperclub Hotel on April 11, 2021. The conversation reportedly took place between Forbes and a lawyer representing the Tembe family during an incident at the Hilton Hotel in Durban, where Tembe was allegedly threatening to jump from a ledge.
According to the messages, Forbes described the situation as frightening, saying Tembe was behaving erratically while he remained locked inside his hotel room. The exchanges include updates claiming she was threatening to jump from the building, making a scene, and prompting calls for hotel security and police assistance. The lawyer also allegedly received a call from Tembe in which she expressed suicidal thoughts linked to her emotional state and the challenges in her relationship.
The newly disclosed messages have raised fresh questions because they differ from information contained in earlier affidavits. As a result, the Tembe family has called on the National Prosecuting Authority to investigate what they believe could be inconsistencies in previous accounts. The family has consistently disputed suggestions that Tembe had a long history of suicidal behaviour, maintaining that every aspect surrounding her death deserves thorough scrutiny.
Tembe, who was 22 years old when she died and was engaged to Forbes, came from a prominent South African family. Her death was initially treated as a possible suicide, but the case has remained the subject of widespread public debate. After the NPA declined to prosecute anyone in 2022, the matter was referred to an inquest to establish exactly how she died.
The evidence presented also reportedly includes messages exchanged directly between Tembe and Forbes in which she referred to previous suicidal thoughts and warned that there would not be another chance if there was a “next time.” While the messages paint a picture of a relationship under immense strain, they also add further complexity to a case that has continued to generate national attention, particularly following Forbes’ murder in Durban in 2023.
With Forbes no longer alive to give evidence, the inquest will rely on witness testimony, forensic findings and documentary evidence, including the newly surfaced text messages, to determine whether Tembe’s death was the result of suicide, an accident or criminal conduct.
As the hearings continue, the proceedings remain a search for answers for the Tembe family and a case that continues to grip South Africa. The latest evidence offers another glimpse into the private struggles behind a highly public relationship while the court works to establish the truth surrounding Tembe’s final moments.
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