Months before Anele Tembe allegedly fell to her death after a heated argument with her boyfriend, AKA, real name Kiernan Forbes, she tried to take her own life in a failed suicide bid off another high-rise building, Durban’s Hilton Hotel.
The young woman, a qualified chef, was talked off the ledge by police and her cousin, claimed TimesLive.
According to AKA, Anele suffered from depression and was suicidal, a claim her father, Moses Tembe, has vehemently refuted.
Tragically, Anele died on 11 April in Cape Town, while AKA was shot and killed in an alleged hit two years later on 10 February 2023. Anele’s death is being investigated in an inquest, while seven men are being charged with the murder of AKA.
ANELE TEMBE SUICIDE BID MAKES HEADLINES
In December 2020, Anele Tembe made headlines after she attempted to jump off the top of the 19-storey Hilton Hotel.
At the time, Anele had accompanied AKA to Durban, where he had opened his restaurant and bar, Cuba BLK, just a day earlier.
According to TimesLive, Anele had stood on the ledge of the top floor in the early morning. Her cousin reportedly tried to talk her off the ledge.
The publication claimed that Anele was “highly aggressive” when approached by authorities.
A source said: “Outside of an emotional state, she was highly aggressive, she was clearly confrontational. ‘Leave me, I want to die’ … she kept on saying that while fighting off the police.”
According to a hotel worker, AKA was inside the hotel.
The worker said: “We could have asked him to come out, but she may have just jumped. Her cousin was present the whole time, but the minute the cops arrived, she became very aggressive.
“We kept on encouraging her cousin to keep talking to her … She turned around for a split second and started crying in her hands.
“In that moment the officers … grabbed her. It was such a tense and risky move.”
Anele was then transported in an ambulance to a local hospital, where she received medical care.
The Citizen claims that the Hilton Hotel had promised to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
A spokesperson told the publication: “The well-being, safety, and security of our guests is our top priority, and we are cooperating with the police following an incident at the hotel this morning.”
DAD SHUTS DOWN SUICIDE SPECULATION
On the third anniversary of Anele Tembe’s death last week, Moses Tembe reflected on his grief and an inquest into his daughter’s death.
Speaking to SABC’s Chriselda Lewis, the businessman denied allegations that Anele was suicidal or had jumped to her death off the 10th floor of the Pepperclub hotel balcony in Cape Town.
At the time, Anele had accompanied the rapper to a weekend gig in the city. By AKA’s own admission after her death, the couple had had a heated argument moments before she fell.
In a video that went viral on social media, Anele’s half-naked body was seen lying on the street while paramedics unsuccessfully tried to save her life.
Moses said: “To see your daughter lying there, covered in foil. It was a traumatic experience.
Rubbishing suicide allegations, he continued: “We did not have any other details than that she had fallen…Anele loved her life. She respected herself. I knew her plans, how much she was looking forward to the next chapter.
“She would not strip naked and throw herself.”
He added: “One got a sense that there could be some foul play.”