By Mapaballo Borotho
- A hotel employee has told the Anele Tembe inquest that she heard a scream and loud thud while speaking to AKA on the morning of Tembe’s death.
- The witness said Forbes had called the hotel requesting assistance after reporting that someone was on the balcony and wanted to jump.
- Tembe died in April 2021 after falling from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town.
A hotel employee testifying at the Anele Tembe inquest has told the court that she heard a scream and a loud thud while speaking to rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes on the morning of Tembe’s death.
The witness requested that her testimony not be broadcast. However, media houses present at the proceedings have continued to provide live updates from the court.
According to live updates published by News24, the hotel employee told the inquest that she started work at 06h30 and received a call from room 1004 at around 07h30.
This is the hotel room that was occupied by the late couple, Forbes and Tembe.
The witness said she did not know who was occupying the room at the time but recognised the voice on the other end of the call as Forbes.
According to the witness, Forbes requested assistance and said that someone was on the balcony and wanted to jump.
She said that while she was still on the phone, she heard a scream followed by a loud thud.
The witness then ended the call and went outside with a colleague, where they found Tembe’s body lying on the road.
She told the court that the call with Forbes lasted less than a minute and that the conversation was a little bit confusing, as it sounded as though the people involved had been drinking.
The witness concluded her testimony on Tuesday, 08 September 2026, with a new witness taking the stand on Wednesday.
The inquest into Tembe’s death resumed at the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 7 September 2026, more than five years after she fell to her death.
Tembe died in April 2021 after falling from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town.
At the time of her death, she was engaged to Forbes, and the couple had been staying together at the hotel.
The inquest is investigating the circumstances surrounding Tembe’s death. Neither Tembe nor Forbes, who were in the hotel room shortly before her death, are alive to testify.
Meanwhile, Tembe’s family told News24 that they would not comment on evidence heard during the proceedings, and Moses Tembe would not attend the proceedings; however, they have their people on the ground keeping them up to date.
The family added that they were comforted by the resumption of the inquest.
The inquest continues at the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court.
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