Moses Tembe, the father of the late Anele Tembe, is not speaking out following the arrest of seven suspects in connection with the murder of rapper Keenan “AKA” Forbes.
AKA and his friend and business partner Thebelo “Tiz” Motsoane were murdered on February 10, 2023, outside the Wish Restaurant on Florida Road, Durban.
Moses Tembe won't talk about arrest
More than a year later, on February 27, the South African Police Service (SAPS) announced that six suspects had been arrested in connection with the alleged attack. Two of the suspects are hiding in Eswatini, and another fugitive was arrested on Wednesday, bringing the total number of suspects to seven.
Following the report, Tembe, a prominent businessman, declined to comment on the arrest and referred all questions to family spokesperson Manqoba Zulu.
talk to Tsusa LIVEZulu said Tembe would not be able to visit her until the autopsy into her daughter's death was completed.
death of anele
Ms Anele, popularly known as 'Neri', died after falling from the 10th floor of the Pepper Club Hotel on Loop Street in Cape Town on April 11, 2021.
At the time, the 22-year-old was in a hotel with AKA. According to his own confession, before her tragic death, they had a quarrel.
After an extensive investigation, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) ruled Anele's death a suicide. However, her family disputes these findings.
Tembes condemns Anele's death
In June 2022, the Tembe family responded to the National Police Agency with a scathing letter accusing the 35-year-old hip-hop artist of murdering their daughter.
In the letter, the family mentioned “scratches on AKA's body, especially on his back,” which they called “defensive marks.” The Tembe couple said they believe the mark was pointing upwards as AKA tried to protect herself by carrying Anele on her shoulders.
Anele's family also claimed that their daughter did not climb over the balcony as originally suggested, as there were no fingerprints to prove it.
Furthermore, the Tembes claimed that Mr. AKA cleaned the hotel room, which was covered in blood, and only called the reception desk to request assistance with the altercation after Mr. Anele had already collapsed.
The letter said: “He did not tend to his injured fiancée, who remained alive for about 20 minutes. He did not go to perform CPR on her. Instead, Stefanutto, a complete stranger, took care of Anele. They were considerate enough to perform CPR and call emergency services to save Tembe's life.”
inquisition
talk to south africanWestern Cape police spokesperson Captain Frederic van Wyk said the NPA had launched a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Anele's death.
“Please be advised that the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Anele Tembe’s death is by no means closed and remains an ongoing investigation. This matter will be formally heard in the Cape Town Magistrates Court from 15 April. is planned.
“The investigation has been completed. Anele Tembe's family is being kept updated on developments in this case. To date, investigators remain in contact with the family.”
Tembe on suspicion of ordering Aka to hit
Since AKA's murder, various conspiracies have been made by fans, including claims that Anele's father was behind an elaborate assassination plot.
These claims were further accelerated following the allegations made by the Tembes in their letter to the NPA. Fans believe that the businessman had a motive to kill the rapper.
However, the 61-year-old trashed that claim in a February 2023 statement. Labeling his claims “false and without substance.”
“It is with grave concern that I and my family have had to endure a flurry of posts on various social media platforms accusing me and my family of being involved in the death of Keenan Forbes. The accusations are false and without substance.
In a separate statement he said: “My family feels the pain of the Forbes family and assures us that we will never engage in such abhorrent acts.
“While I respect the principle of free speech, these cruel and defamatory statements cause us personal and emotional harm. We must deal with the tragedy of our daughter's untimely death. After the incident, this senseless crime has caused further psychological damage to us. We respectfully request that those who make baseless statements like this refrain from doing so.”
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