CAPE TOWN – Former Police Minister Bheki Cele testified before Parliament on Thursday that investigators concluded the 2021 death of Anele Tembe was murder, contradicting initial suicide findings and exposing systemic delays in prosecution authority.
The Ad Hoc Committee is questioning Cele as part of an investigation into allegations of political interference and corruption within the South African Police Service.
Cele’s revelations on Anele Tembe’s death as murder spark a deeper investigation into police corruption and the failures of the prosecutorial system.
This follows claims made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who accused influential actors, including individuals allegedly linked to Cele, of compromising the intergrity of the police.
Cele told parliament police evidence pointed to foul play in Tembe’s fatal fall from a Cape Town hotel while with rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes, her fiancé.
He revealed advising President Cyril Ramaphosa on potential private prosecution support after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) failed to act on investigators’ recommendations.
An ongoing inquest is examining why prosecutors declined to pursue charges despite police findings.
“I am sure you will hear one day that there is an inquest into the death of Moses Tembe’s daughter,” Cele said, adding investigators had determined she was murdered.
The case has reignited scrutiny of Western Cape judicial processes, with Cele’s testimony highlighting gaps between police work and prosecutorial follow-through.
Tembe’s death, initially classified as suicide, remains unresolved four years later.
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