By Sihle Mkhize
The family of Anele Tembe have distanced themselves from the execution style killing of popular rapper AKA.
In a statement, the Tembe family described the killing of AKA outside a Durban eatery last Friday as an abhorrent act.
Anele was slain AKA’s girlfriend. She died after she allegedly threw herself out the window of a multi-story hotel in Cape Town while holidaying with AKA.
The killing of AKA whose real name was Kiernan Forbes (35) gave rise to a lot of speculation.
Most of it however suggested that the Tembe family had ordered the hit as revenge for Anele’s death.
Anele was a model, entrepreneur, and social media personality. She was engaged to AKA at the time of her death.
Her family suspected foul play in her death. At her funeral, a message from her father was read where he said he would not rest until the truth about her daughter’s death was found.
Anele’s father, Moses Tembe has stated that neither his family had had enough with the accusations which are debated on social media platforms.
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“It is with grave concern that my family and I have had to endure a flurry of posts on various social media platforms that accuse me, and members of my family, of being involved in the death of Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes.
“These accusations are untrue and without substance,” wrote Tembe in a statement.
“I categorically state that my family feel the pain of the Forbes family and would never be involved in an abhorrent act of this nature.
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“Whilst I value the principle of freedom of speech, these cruel and libellous utterances inflict personal and emotional harm on us.
“After having to deal with the tragedy of the untimely passing of our daughter, this senseless crime has taken a further emotional toll on us.
“I respectfully request the individuals making these baseless statements to refrain from doing so.”
AKA has meanwhile been denied a formal provincial funeral by president Cyril Ramaphosa.
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This was revealed by Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi during a visit to the Forbes home on Thursday.
Lesufi’s office said he had visited the family to inform them of the president’s decision.
However, Lesufi said the provincial government would honour the late musician by providing law enforcement personnel, a gravesite at Heroes Acre Cemetery and a flag for his casket.
The public memorial will be held on Friday at the Sandton Convention Centre.
The memorial starts at 3pm and will be live-streamed on the Akaworldwide YouTube channel.
AKA will then be laid to rest in a private funeral on Saturday.
