EXCLUSIVE: ‘I’ve been getting death threats’ – Melinda Ferguson on the new AKA and Anele book

Melinda Ferguson, the author of the book When Love Kills – The Tragic Tale of AKA and Anele, has defended herself after receiving criticism from the public and the couple’s families.

Hate and support over new AKA-Anele book

“I don’t think people understand what it is to write a book. It takes a huge amount of effort and time. The amount of insanity in the leak of the cover of When Love Kills took me by surprise.

“While I got love and support, I also got tagged on social media with a lot of hate and even death threats from people saying they were coming for me. ‘You better get bodyguards’. I even got tagged on the Gcaba taxi page, where someone said, ‘You should take care of this woman’. 

“People don’t like women who speak out, women with big mouths, but I can never be silent about what looks like injustice; it’s just not me.” 

ALSO READ: Watch: Millions offered for Oscar Pistorius ‘jail scribblings’

Speaking to The Citizen, Melinda Ferguson, who has previously published Inside the Belly of the Beast: The Real Bosasa Story and the Oscar Pistorius story, Oscar: An Accident Waiting to Happen, has stirred public outrage and debate with her new book, When Love Kills, which focuses on the tragic story of slain rapper Kiernan Forbes, also known as AKA, and his late girlfriend Anele Tembe. 

Not one to shy away from controversial issues, Melinda has written books on her journey with addiction, including the award-winning Smacked and Hooked.

Deaths of AKA and Anele Tembe

Her current book is about the tragic tale of AKA and Anele. It delves into the complexities of their relationship and the events leading up to their untimely deaths. 

For years, the story of the now-late couple has left the public divided.

Twenty-two-year-old Anele Tembe, who was engaged to AKA, fell to her death from the 10th floor of the Cape Town hotel, The Pepper Club, in April 2021.

Nobody was charged for her death, but her father, Moses Tembe, spoke to the SABC this past weekend, saying that he suspected foul play in his daughter’s death.

Watch Anele Tembe’s father speak on her death:

Forbes was later murdered in an assassination-style killing on 10 February 2023, outside the Wish restaurant in Durban.

The case is currently in court, with seven people arrested and detained in connection with the murder. 

“As a journalist, it is not key to get the blessing of the families but rather to tell the story as truthfully as possible. While I encouraged participation from all parties, I wasn’t relying on getting anyone’s blessing when writing the book,” said Melinda.

She said her new book aims to offer a nuanced exploration of the intertwined lives of AKA and Anele, as well as the broader social issues that may have contributed to their deaths.

This includes a deep dive into themes such as domestic violence, mental health struggles, toxic masculinity, and the pressures of fame.

ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘I object to anyone who suggests AKA killed our daughter’ – Anele Tembe’s father

The book promises to shed light on many unanswered questions and provide insights into the events that rocked the South African music industry and South Africa at large.

Ferguson’s reasons for writing the book

Giving the reasons for writing the book, Ferguson said, “I am someone who’s drawn to dark stories, and as soon as there’s a toxic element to something, I’m drawn almost like a magnet to it.

“I’ve been through my own dark journey, and the moment that I learned that Anele had ‘fallen’, I wanted to know what had happened in that room. 

“My heart broke for this young girl. I asked myself: what were they doing at that time of the morning? At 7am? I highly suspected drugs and alcohol had been involved. I always liked AKA’s music, but over time I think fame got to him and he got carried away by his celebrity. I wondered what had gone on behind closed doors. Just like everybody else, I followed the story closely.”

ALSO READ: Poison, murders, swopped bodies… Agrizzi’s new book as exciting as his Zondo testimony

While watching the story of Anele’s death unravel, Melinda was alerted to videos and pictures of the couple’s altercations doing the rounds on social media.

“A few weeks later, the videos came out, and I was enraged as a woman by what looked like abuse to me, and so I became more involved in the story. Then Kiernan was killed. This was a huge tragedy, and as a journalist, I couldn’t help but want to write about it.

“I have never worked harder on a book. I went down a rabbit hole of research, reading everything I could about the couple, speaking to people, and going on his social media.

“In some way, I think the callousness, cruelty, and divisions on social media played a role in both of their deaths. Sometimes I felt like a voyeur and sickened by the responses as I watched it all go viral.” 

Responses to the book

In response to the book, the Forbes family released a statement.

“We are not in any way associated with Melinda Ferguson’s book,” it said. “We do, however, find the intended publication of the book and the timing distasteful and opportunistic.” 

Ferguson responded by saying she felt the story needed to be told.

“I feel very sorry for the Forbes, for their loss, for his fans, and for the senseless loss of Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane and his family. No family deserves to bury their child, no matter the circumstances, but I stand by my book and believe this story needs to be told. I did the work. I interviewed people from both sides.” 

Throughout the process of writing the book, Melinda was particularly disturbed by the fact that Anele had no voice because she wasn’t famous. “While writing the book I heard her voice screaming in my dreams, and I wanted to remind people of her life. We have to have these difficult conversations.”

There’s been public speculation that she wrote the book without speaking to Moses Tembe, which she denies.

“I spoke to Moses Tembe and I spoke to people close to Kiernan, but most of those people didn’t want to be named. People are scared because AKA was assassinated, and people are reluctant to be identified. While they might have told me unflattering things, nobody wanted to look like they were betraying AKA.

“Moses was a father in grief and I spent valuable time with him as he walked through painful memories. I also use a lot of Kiernan’s words when he describes what happened the night Anele died; he’s very alive in the book. My real struggle was getting information about Anele.

“I relied on Moses and people who knew her for a character profile, as she had no voice and very little social media presence. She lost her life at a time when she was just about to start living.”

ALSO READ: Forbes family won’t endorse ‘distasteful and opportunistic’ book about AKA and Anele

The public stir surrounding the book’s release stems from the sensitive nature of its subject matter.

The high-profile nature of the couple and the tragedy of their young lives being cut short have drawn significant public interest and emotion.

Critics of the book argue that Ferguson may be capitalising on the tragedy for commercial gain, while supporters contend that her work could provide much-needed insight into the complex dynamics of the couple’s relationship and the circumstances leading up to their deaths. 

Supporters also point out that raising awareness about important issues such as domestic violence and mental health can lead to positive change and prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Members of both the Forbes and the Tembe families have expressed mixed reactions to the book. Some appreciate the intention to bring awareness to the issues and hope it will provide clarity to the public, while others have expressed concerns about the content. 

ALSO READ: ‘I have never been more freaked out by a story’: Book about AKA and Anele to hit shelves

“The tragedy of AKA and Anele became one of the biggest news and human-interest stories since the trial of Oscar,” said Ferguson.

“Some people have been outraged, asking why have I written about people who have died, but I don’t understand why death is a hands-off topic, especially when there is so much suspicion around how both of them died.

“What is the right timing? Anele died three years ago. I have been watching the story unfold and for me, the timing of this book felt right.”