Tony Forbes says he released AKA’s WhatsApp messages to defend his son’s name

Tony Forbes, father of slain rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, says he released private WhatsApp messages allegedly exchanged between AKA, Anele Tembe and the Tembe family’s lawyer to defend his son’s name and memory.

Why the messages were published

In a statement posted on social media, Tony Forbes said he had been reluctant to make the messages public but felt compelled to act after years of media reports, political commentary and allegations. “I could not save him but I can fight for his name and memory,” he wrote.

Forbes said he now believes releasing the conversations is in the public interest and that the messages allow people to examine the information for themselves. “Read the texts and decide for yourself,” he said.

What the messages are said to show

According to Tony Forbes, the WhatsApp messages were allegedly exchanged during and after the Hilton Hotel incident in Durban in December 2020.

He claimed the conversations support the National Prosecuting Authority’s 2023 decision not to prosecute AKA and reveal contradictions between two witness affidavits contained in the case docket. Forbes alleged that the texts were on Kiernan’s phone all along and were not included in the case docket by the investigating officer.

Legal and public response

The authenticity and legal significance of the conversations have not been independently verified. At the time of publication, neither the Tembe family nor the National Prosecuting Authority had publicly responded to the claims.

Background and next steps in the inquiry

Anele Tembe died in April 2021 after falling from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town. Following her death, AKA faced public scrutiny. In 2023 the NPA announced it would not prosecute the rapper, citing insufficient evidence to secure a successful prosecution.

The inquest into Tembe’s death was postponed after the presiding magistrate experienced a medical emergency. It had been set to run for three days in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court and will now be heard on September 7, 8, 9, 15 and 16. Six witnesses have been subpoenaed to testify about the circumstances surrounding Tembe’s death.