Johannesburg - In a much-anticipated interview rapper Kiernan Forbes, professionally known as AKA, opened up about what happened on that tragic day last month when his fiancée Anele Tembe died.
The BarLeader TV, home to a variety of reality series including the recent Saftas-winning Life with Kelly Khumalo, screened the interview on their YouTube site. In the interview, hosted by news anchor Thembekile Mrototo, Forbes spoke about what happened on the night, his current relationship with the Tembe family and his views on the opinions about his relationship.
“There’s so much noise that is going on that it is hard for me to find the time and peace to mourn and grieve. I never wanted to lay things bare or be in this position and have to explain. The events of the last month (media reports) have put me in a position where I need to tell the truth and my voice needs to be heard.”
Forbes said before the incident that led to Tembe’s death, the couple had been arguing overnight in an attempt to resolve some of the issues they were facing.
“Anele was and is my absolute world. This is about preserving her legacy and remember her in the right way,” he said about his decision to speak out.
He said on April 11, Tembe was in Cape Town with him, as he was there to work. After the engagements, they returned to the hotel they were staying at with friends. Once the friends left their room, the two decided to speak about their relationship.
Forbes revealed a week before the incident the couple had a lot of arguments and disagreements. On the night of April 10, the argument continued, “things got heated and I thought it was best to remove myself from the situation.”
He said Tembe took off the ring he had given her and threw it at him while they were arguing.
Forbes said he had enquired about moving to another room and gathered his items to move.
He left their room but returned shortly after he realised he had taken Tembe’s phone. The couple continued arguing and after Tembe allegedly threatened to take her life, Forbes said he called for security to come and help ease the situation. He told Mrototo that his memory was still blurred when it came to when Tembe then walked past him to the balcony and jumped.
He said he had gone to the bathroom to remove himself from the situation and when he came out she was nowhere to be found.
He then went to the balcony and looked over onto the street to see her body lying there.
Forbes said he then went to a friend’s room who advised him not to go downstairs to Tembe.
He said Tembe had allegedly attempted suicide before and on another occasion she had tried to jump out of a moving car.
He said there were other incidents where Tembe had allegedly driven a car into a wall, had to be talked down off a ledge and spent time in psychiatric care.
He told Mrototo that the two did have insecurity issues and his public life profile had caused some arguments.
He also addressed the leaked video and images saying that though he saw what they looked like, he was not an abuser. “I want people to know that I loved her with all my heart. The peace and centre of my life is gone.”
He has not spoken to her family since the day after the funeral.
To all the people who doubted his innocence, he said: “We have to trust the process, trust in the inquest, in the detectives and for the law to take its course. I have no other option than that but for the truth to come out.”
The Star