AKA’s Father Tony Forbes Responds to Bheki Cele’s Claims About Anele Tembe’s Death: “It’s Hurtful”
- Kiernan 'AKA' Forbes' dad, Tony Forbes, spoke out after former police minister Bheki Cele's statements about Anele Tembe's passing
- Tony Forbes shared that his family still had a chance to clear AKA's through an upcoming legal process
- Tony Forbes also spoke on an infamous incident in which he snubbed Bheki Cele when AKA's murder suspects were arrested
Source: Getty Images
Tony Forbes, the father of the late rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes, has responded to allegations made by the former police minister, Bheki Cele, in Parliament on Thursday, 23 October 2025.
During his testimony before the Ad Hoc Committee established to investigate the alleged corruption in the criminal justice system, Bheki Cele claimed that police did not rule out murder in the death of Anele Tembe. He claimed that the matter didn’t go to trial because prosecutors refused to take the case forward.
Cele’s claims indirectly implied that the late multi-award-winning rapper Kiernan Forbes, popularly known as AKA, was responsible for Anele Tembe’s death.
AKA's dad responds to Bheki Cele's claims about Anele Tembe's passing
In an interview with eNCA on Friday, 24 October 2025, AKA’s father, Tony Forbes, responded to Cele’s statement in Parliament. He said Cele’s claims were hurtful and fair because AKA is no longer here to defend himself.
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“So, for me, it’s just reopened the wounds, and Kiernan was just spoken of as a murderer again. It’s very unfair. It’s hurtful. He’s not here to defend himself, and I wish that the NPA could just set the record straight,” Tony Forbes said.
Tony Forbes shared that the inquest into Anele Tembe’s death will still go ahead despite AKA’s passing. He shared that they would go with evidence to clear AKA’s name.
“The right place for this to clear out is in the inquest. That is what the inquest is for, and obviously, Kiernan passed away before the inquest happened. But it's not too late. The inquest is still supposed to happen, and we are still supposed to go there and take the facts there so that there is a balanced discussion and not merely one-sided statements being made as was the case yesterday,” he added.
He denied suggestions that AKA had murdered Anele Tembe, describing him as a calm and kind-hearted individual.
“There’s no doubt that Kiernan was not a murderer. Two weeks before Anele died, Kiernan went and asked for her hand in marriage. Kiernan was not an aggressive person. Kiernan would never have done that. So, absolutely, he did not murder her. He did not kill her,” Tony Forbes replied.
Source: Getty Images
AKA's father criticises Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee
Tony Forbes also set the record straight on an infamous incident in which he allegedly snubbed Bheki Cele. He denied snubbing him then but claimed that Cele had lied that he came to the Forbes’ residence to pay his respects following AKA’s death. Forbes also criticised the Ad Hoc Committee for not interrogating Cele's claims.
“As for our relationship, we spoke at the airport in the morning, and then we went our separate ways when we met in Durban. He never came to the house as he said. I’m actually surprised that the committee didn’t more robustly interrogate what the ex-minister had said," Forbes said.
He also denied that the police believed that Anele Tembe’s death was a murder, saying that at no stage did the police indicate to him that they believed Kiernan had killed the daughter of popular businessman Moses Tembe.
Nota Baloyi responds to Bheki Cele’s statement about Anele Tembe’s Death
Meanwhile, AKA's father isn't the only one who responded to Cele's allegations.
Briefly News reported that Nota Baloyi weighed in on Bheki Cele's claims about Anele Tembe's tragic death.
The controversial media personality made unverified claims about Neli's death, also sharing a picture of an unidentified woman he claims to have been her.
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Source: Briefly News
