Exclusive : Rob Steffanutto Breaks Silence on Anele Tembe’s Death
Exclusive: Rob Steffanutto Breaks Silence on Anele Tembe’s Death
In a gripping revelation that has sent shockwaves rippling through the nation, Rob Steffanutto, a pivotal witness in the Anele Tembe case, has broken his silence, shedding light on the harrowing events that unfolded in the final moments of Anele’s life.
Who is Rob Steffanuto?
- Rob Steffanutto – the man who reportedly saw AKA, real name Kiernan Forbes, moments after Anele Tembe’s fatal fall and helped her in her dying moments – has hinted at foul play in the investigation of her death.
- The Cape Town businessman spoke to Melinda Ferguson in her book When Love Kills: The Tragic Tale of AKA and Anele.
- In his interview, Rob reflected on his traumatic experience of witnessing the aftermath of the tragedy.
- Anele’s 2021 death is currently being investigated via an inquest. Meanwhile, AKA’s murder two years later has been labeled an “assassination.”
Anele Tembe Eyewitness Makes Shock Claims
- Speaking to Melinda Ferguson, Rob Stefanutto shared the harrowing account of how he rushed to help a dying – and naked – Anele Tembe, who had fallen off the tenth floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town on the morning of 11 April 2021.
- Moments before, he had spotted AKA on the balcony of the hotel room. The couple had had a heated argument, where Anele allegedly screamed: “Leave me alone! Get away from me!”.
- AKA later revealed his entourage had told him not to go down to the pavement where his fiancee lay.
- According to Rob – whose adjacent apartment was at The Sentinel – Anele was barely breathing, and he quickly administered CPR before calling the paramedics.
- He did his best to comfort her by assuring her that “help was on the way.” He even said a prayer over her.
- Twenty minutes after her fall, Anele died on the corner of Loop and Pepper Street.
- Admonishing AKA for his no-show, Rob told Melinda: “If someone jumps off a building and you are their fiance, you come downstairs. One has to wonder whether he didnt come down and instead chose to hide away upstairs because he might have been scared that I would recognise him. He had seen me standing on the balcony across his room just after she dropped”.
- Rob Stefanutto then made another surprising comment about what happened thereafter.
- He continued: “After all this happened, I went to the senior police officer, and I said that I’d like to make a statement.
- And then I waited and waited, but no one ever contacted me”.
- A few days later, Rob received a call from Moses Tembe’s attorney, who helped him submit a detailed statement about the incident.
- Rob then hinted at foul play.
- He continued: “It was submitted to the authorities…but to this day, I don’t know what happened to that statement.
Speaking exclusively to Melinda Ferguson in her forthcoming book about the relationship between AKA and Anele Tembe, Rob Steffanutto alluded to the possibility of foul play, hinting at a series of ominous developments that have cast a shadow of suspicion over the tragic incident.
Anele Tembe Witness Hints At Foul Play: ‘I Don’T Know What Happened To My Statement’
- Speaking to the SABC earlier this month, Anele Tembe’s father also expressed his suspicions.
- The Durban businessman claimed that a viral video of paramedics attending to a dying Anele had been “traumatic” to watch.
- He said: “We did not have any other details than that she had fallen…Anele loved her life. She respected herself. I knew her plans how much she was looking forward to the next chapter.
- “She would not strip naked and throw herself.”
He added: “One got a sense that there could be some foul play.”
The Fateful Encounter:
Rob Steffanutto found himself thrust into the heart of the unfolding tragedy when he became the first responder to reach Anele Tembe after her fatal fall. Recounting the chilling scene that greeted him, Rob alleged that he encountered AKA standing on the balcony of the hotel, a detail that would later take on profound significance in the unraveling of the case.
Moreover, Rob claimed to have heard Anele’s desperate cries for help, punctuated by her chilling plea to be left alone, moments before tragedy struck.
Denied Access To Police Docket
- Last year, a scathing leaked letter from Anele Tembe’s family to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) made a series of bombshell allegations., reported IOL.
- In it, the Tembe family challenged the NPA’s decision not to prosecute anyone, namely Kiernan Forbes. It also alleged how the rapper allegedly threw Anele off the hotel balcony and subsequently covered up her murder.
- The letter also questioned why the family was denied access to a police docket following Anele’s fall.
- According to the Citizen, the NPA previously stated that Anele’s death was a “suicide investigation.” However, they added that it had “elements of suspicion of a murder.”
- Meanwhile, Sunday World reports that Anele Tembe’s inquest, which was set to begin last week, has been delayed again for various reasons.
A Race Against Time:
As Rob rushed to Anele’s side, he was confronted with the grim reality of her rapidly deteriorating condition. With Anele barely clinging to life, Rob sprang into action, administering CPR in a desperate bid to resuscitate her fading pulse. Yet, amidst the chaos and confusion, Rob’s attentions were drawn to the conspicuous absence of AKA, whom he surmised had deliberately avoided checking on Anele in the aftermath of her fall. Speculating on the motives behind AKA’s absence, Rob suggested that the rapper may have recognized him from their earlier encounter on the balcony, leading him to distance himself from the unfolding tragedy.
The Quest for Truth:
In the aftermath of the traumatic ordeal, Rob sought to lend his voice to the ongoing investigation, eager to provide authorities with a detailed account of the events that transpired on that fateful day. However, to his dismay, Rob’s attempts to offer his statement were met with a bewildering silence, as law enforcement authorities failed to reach out to him for his testimony. It was only through the intervention of Moses Tembe’s legal team that Rob was finally granted the opportunity to share his eyewitness account, a delay that has left lingering questions about the integrity of the investigation.
The Missing Piece:
Yet, even as Rob stepped forward to offer his version of events, a disturbing revelation emerged—his statement had seemingly vanished without a trace, leaving Rob and those invested in the pursuit of justice grappling with a troubling sense of uncertainty. The inexplicable disappearance of Rob’s testimony has cast a shadow of doubt over the integrity of the investigation, raising troubling questions about potential tampering and manipulation.
In the wake of these unsettling revelations, the quest for truth has taken on renewed urgency, as those touched by Anele’s tragic end demand answers and accountability. As the investigation presses forward, Rob Steffanutto’s courageous decision to speak out serves as a beacon of hope in the relentless pursuit of justice, ensuring that Anele’s memory will be honored and her legacy preserved in the annals of history.
