Cape Town – During his appearance before Parliament’s ad-hoc committee investigating alleged corruption in the criminal justice system, former police minister Bheki Cele revisited the circumstances surrounding the death of Anele “Nelli” Tembe, the fiancée of the late rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes.
Cele told MPs that police investigators had believed Tembe was murdered and had repeatedly tried to get the matter enrolled.
“I am sure you will hear one day that there is an inquest. There is an inquest in the death of Moses Tembe’s daughter. Police did the investigation and they believed that the daughter was murdered. They went time and again to the prosecutor for the things to be enrolled. They would say, go back, dot the i’s and cross the t’s. Until they said, if you can’t do it, give us a certificate. I went to the president, I said, Mr President, your minister of police is going to do something funny,” he said.
“He is going to support the private prosecution. And the prosecutor refused to give certificate. So, you can’t prosecute, you can’t give certificate. So, you are stopping the meeting. But now I know that that inquest, the magistrate that is there now is asking the question, why this thing was not enrolled because it is an obvious case. You should ask the prosecutor that did not enroll it in this case.”
WATCH | Former Police Minister Bheki Cele says that police did an investigation and believed that Anele Tembe was murdered. He adds, “You will hear one day that there’s an inquest into the death of Moses Tembe’s daughter.” pic.twitter.com/RXtJgQntw8
— SABC News (@SABCNews) October 23, 2025
Speaking to eNCA, he said the minister’s words had caused undue harm by painting his son as a murderer, despite no charge ever being brought.
“After the ex-minister’s testimony yesterday … he was telling the nation that the police believed that she was murdered. … The minister’s words still carry a lot of weight. … So for me, it’s reopened the wounds, and Kenan is being spoken of as a murderer again. It’s unfair and hurtful. He’s not allowed to defend himself. … I wish the NPA could just set the record straight. … It was out of context, and yes, it’s been a difficult day,” Forbes said.
On whether the matter should have gone to court, he said an inquest was the proper setting.
“The right place for this to play out is in the inquest. That’s what the inquest is for. … It’s not too late. We’re still supposed to go there and take the facts so that there’s a balanced discussion, not one-sided statements like yesterday.”
Pressed on whether he believed his son was innocent, Forbes said, “There’s no doubt that Kenan was not a murderer. Two weeks before Anele died he asked for her hand in marriage. He was not an aggressive person. He would never have done that. He did not murder her, did not kill her, did not harm her. … But now, by the ex-minister saying police believed he murdered her, the nation is being told that as if it’s true.”
Forbes also rejected claims that he had snubbed the minister at an event.
“I never snubbed him. It’s not my nature. We travelled together from Cape Town… I greeted General Mponazi when we arrived in Durban. We spoke at the airport in the morning and then we went our separate ways. He never came to the house, as he said. That’s not true.”
He added a note of frustration about how the parliamentary committee managed the hearing.
“I’m surprised the committee didn’t more robustly interpret what the minister said. Yesterday he said he approached the president about a private prosecution, but today when asked if he’s been involved in investigations or prosecutions, he said no. It’s a complete contradiction and no one asked about it. I’m disappointed in how it went down. There’s a one-sided position being put before the nation. By right, the NPA should now respond.”
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
