The events surrounding the final moments of Anele Tembe’s life came under scrutiny at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court as testimony in her inquest continued.
A witness told the court that he heard a man and woman arguing inside the Pepper Club Hotel on the night Tembe died in April 2021.
The witness said the argument was followed by sobbing and what sounded like a gunshot, before he heard a man shouting.
He then left his hotel room and saw a woman’s body lying in the street below.
The witness said he initially did not know the identity of the woman, only learning that it was Tembe after details of the incident emerged in the media.
The court also heard that a hotel employee was alerted to the situation after the late rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes contacted reception requesting security.
The witness described AKA as sounding panicked during the call.
Earlier testimony indicated that Tembe and AKA had been arguing before the fatal fall. The court heard that Tembe had allegedly thrown her engagement ring at AKA, prompting him to move to a separate room.
Another witness told the court that he was unaware of whether AKA had attempted to stop Tembe from jumping from the 10th floor.
The witness described AKA’s demeanour following the incident as “fine”, while acknowledging that people respond differently to traumatic situations.
The inquest also heard that footage of Tembe’s fall had been obtained, although the quality of the recording was reportedly distorted.
Proceedings are subject to restrictions imposed by the magistrate, including a prohibition on livestreaming, filming, recording or identifying witnesses without their permission.
Tembe, who was engaged to AKA at the time of her death, fell from the 10th floor of the Pepper Club Hotel in April 2021.
The inquest is continuing as the court examines evidence surrounding the circumstances of her death.