News24 released a documentary-style investigation into the final moments of Anele Tembe on Sunday 12 July 2026, drawing sharp criticism from South Africans who accused the publication of exploiting grief to attract paying subscribers. Image: Supplied
News24 faces sharp criticism after releasing a documentary-style investigation into the final moments of Anele Tembe on Sunday 12 July 2026. The News24 AKA Anele Tembe investigation drew immediate backlash from South Africans. Many described the publication as exploiting grief to attract new subscribers. Furthermore, they argued the footage contained nothing the public did not already know. As a result, the media ethics of timing, consent and commercial motivation are firmly in the spotlight.
News24 AKA Anele Tembe Investigation: What Was Released
News24 teased the investigation on Instagram on Friday 10 July 2026. The publication described previously unseen footage and a reconstruction of the couple’s Cape Town movements before Tembe’s death. News24 pieced together CCTV footage to track their movements up to the moment Tembe fell from the tenth floor of the Pepperclub Hotel on 11 April 2021. Furthermore, News24 placed the full documentary behind its subscription paywall. Non-subscribers had to sign up to access it. As a result, critics questioned whether the investigation served the public or served the publication’s commercial goals.
The timing made matters worse. Tembe’s inquest started at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday 13 July 2026. Six witnesses testified over three days. The NPA confirmed the inquest findings will determine how the matter proceeds legally. As a result, News24 released the investigation on the eve of formal court proceedings.
South Africans Say Nothing New Was Revealed
The most consistent complaint is that the investigation revealed nothing new. Commentary across social media shows widespread frustration. What News24 billed as an exclusive investigation largely revisited details reported over five years. Many argue that packaging known information as documentary content behind a paywall on the eve of a court inquest is not investigative journalism. It is subscription farming. Furthermore, the timing suggested commercial motivation came first. As a result, the investigation generated more outrage about media ethics than insight about the case.
AKA’s Father Tony Forbes Fires Back
Tony Forbes, the father of AKA who was assassinated in Durban in February 2023, responded with fury on Instagram on Friday. “Bring it on, News24,” he wrote. “I am determined not to be bitter for the rest of my time. But don’t f*ck with my son’s memory.” Furthermore, Forbes accused the publication of promoting a false narrative about his late son. “I am tired of this. When the dust settles, let’s see who stands where,” he said. As a result, Forbes’ post became the most widely shared reaction to the investigation.
Forbes has consistently defended AKA’s character. He told eNCA: “There’s no doubt that Kiernan was not a murderer. Kiernan was not an aggressive person. He did not murder her, he did not kill her, he did not harm her.” AKA denied any involvement in Tembe’s death until his own killing in 2023. As a result, Forbes’ reaction reflects years of pain at what he sees as an ongoing media campaign against his late son’s reputation.
The Media Ethics Question Around the News24 AKA Anele Investigation
The investigation raises questions beyond this specific case. South Africa’s media landscape faces serious commercial pressure. Publications struggle to convert readers into paying subscribers. News24 has aggressively pursued a subscription model. Furthermore, placing an investigation into one of the country’s most emotionally charged celebrity cases behind a paywall on the eve of a court inquest raises hard questions. As a result, the debate is not whether News24 has the right to publish. It does. The question is whether the way it published serves the public interest or primarily serves its subscription targets.
The specific criticism is not about publishing the investigation. It is about what the investigation actually contained. If the footage adds nothing new to public understanding of the events of 11 April 2021, the ethical case for reopening the wounds of two families becomes harder to make. Furthermore, the subscription paywall adds a commercial dimension that cannot be set aside. As a result, this is a debate about media standards South Africa needs to have openly.
The Background to This Case
Anele Tembe was 22 when she fell from the tenth floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town on 11 April 2021. She was engaged to AKA, real name Kiernan Forbes, at the time. No one charged AKA with any offence related to her death. Gunmen shot and killed him outside a Durban restaurant on 24 February 2023 in what investigators believe was a planned assassination. Seven men face charges for his murder. Their trial moves to October 2026. Furthermore, the Tembe family welcomed the NPA’s decision to open a formal inquest. As a result, the inquest represents the most significant legal development in the case since the original investigation closed without prosecution.
Editors Note This article reflects commentary and public reaction to News24’s investigation published on 12 July 2026 and does not represent a legal finding on the circumstances of Anele Tembe’s death. AKA was never charged with any offence related to Tembe’s death and maintained his innocence until his own death in 2023. The inquest into Tembe’s death began at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday 13 July 2026. Mzansi Today Live will update this article as further information becomes available.