The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it is unclear whether the family of the late rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes will appoint a legal team to represent it in the inquest into the death of Anele Tembe, the fiancée of the late rapper.
The inquest has been postponed to September 7th in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.
The magistrate fell ill, prompting the postponement.
Tembe fell from the tenth floor of a hotel in Cape Town while she was with AKA in April 2021.
NPA Western Cape spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila says, “The last time there were two lawyers representing the Forbes family, but those two lawyers withdrew so what we’ll be waiting for is for the Forbes family to advise the inquest secretary on whether they’ll be bringing in new legal representatives and whether they will have witnesses before we sit in September.”
Absence of key witness
Legal expert believes that the inquest into the death of Anele Tembe will be challenging in the absence of a key witness.
Criminal Lawyer at Hendricks-Harmse Attorneys, Bruce Hendricks, says the absence of a key witness will make it hard to determine whether anyone should held criminally liable for Tembe’s death.
“Statements and affidavits and post-mortem reports that form evidence will still be there. However, crucial witnesses such as AKA that was present, one of the key witnesses probably in the matter and the most important witness is no longer there to testify. So that makes it rather difficult for the presiding officer to make a determination as to whether someone should be actually criminally prosecuted or not,” adds Hendricks.
Anele Tembe inquest set to begin in Cape Town Magistrate’s Court
A timeline of events:
About the Author
