'Anele's screams got louder'

AWARD-winning publisher Melinda Ferguson revealed that she went into a deep rabbit hole and became too obsessed with the world that the rapper Kierman "AKA" Forbes and Anele Tembe had lived in.

AKA was in a controversial relationship with Anele, and the two got engaged on 21 February 2021.

Anele fell to her death from the 10th floor of the Pepper Hotel in Cape Town on 11 April 2021 at age 22, and AKA was gunned down in Durban on 10 February 2023 at age 35.

Melinda wrote a book titled When Love Kills which tells the tragic tale of the relationship between the lovebirds. The book was published on Monday, 22 April 2024.

Melinda Furguson says she wrote the book about AKA and Anele with compassion.

She spoke to Daily Sun about the book's journey even when she knew she would have to face the music at the end.

Melinda said she faced many internal challenges because she knew that once the book came out, she would probably be hated by some people and criticised by others.

"I knew that my 'whiteness' would be a problem. My fears have proven to be well-founded as there's been an outpouring of criticism levelled at me. But there has also been a huge amount of support.

ALSO READ: Singer finally gets award after 11 years

"I often dreamt of Anele during this time, and as I progressed in writing the book, her screams got louder. Writing this book was really tough. I became affected by the brutality of the story," she revealed.

Melinda also explained the topics that she normally writes about.

Melinda, whose book raises a lot of questions.

"I guess death is a big one for me. People who hurt each other or themselves, addiction and pain. Suffering and injustice are big ones for me. Transformation, hope and redemption. And love, of course, in all its twisted shapes and forms."

Melinda mentioned that she wrote the book with compassion and hoped to deliver something of value.

"It's a big book. It's deep. It's thought-provoking. It has unique insights. It's sad and tragic and a cautionary tale. I'd prefer people to read the book and decide for themselves why it's an important story," she mentioned.

AKA, who was gunned down on 10 February 2023.

Following the announcement of the book, both the Tembes and Forbes distanced themselves from it.

AKA's parents released a statement saying they weren't associated with the book.

"We're not in any way associated with Melinda Ferguson's book, and don't endorse it," The Forbes family said.

"The Tembe family didn't commission the writing of the book and didn't contribute to it in any way," said the Tembe family spokesman Manqoba Zungu.