Forbes Defends Leaking AKA’s Texts

Tony Forbes, the father of the late South African rap superstar Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, has strongly defended his decision to release private WhatsApp messages between his son and the Tembe family lawyer. The leak over the weekend of 11 July 2026 came just days before the formal inquest into the tragic 2021 death of AKA’s late fiancée, Anele Tembe, was scheduled to begin.

Addressing the release, Tony Forbes made it clear that the leaks were a deliberate attempt to clear his son’s name of foul play. “I did it as his father,” Tony stated. “I could not save him, but I can fight for his name and memory”. The released conversations, which the Forbes family has officially requested the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to include in the inquest, reportedly detail previous instances of relationship distress, including threats by Tembe to take her own life months before her fatal fall.

The Tembe family, who have consistently rejected claims that Anele took her own life, responded to the leak by raising fresh questions of their own. They have formally requested that the NPA investigate what they allege are notable differences and contradictions between their lawyer’s official affidavit regarding those past incidents and the newly leaked text messages.

Meanwhile, the highly anticipated inquest has hit another roadblock. Scheduled to commence at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 13 July 2026, proceedings were abruptly postponed after the presiding magistrate suffered an “unavoidable medical emergency”. The formal inquiry is now scheduled to get under way in September, with hearings set for 7 to 9 September, and resuming on 15 and 16 September 2026.

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