Melinda Ferguson’s Book On AKA And Anele Is Opportunistic – Parents

The parents of late South African rapper, AKA have expressed outrage over an upcoming book about their late son by acclaimed author, Melinda Ferguson.

The book titled When Love Kills – The Tragic Tale of AKA and Anele, shares the devastating story of the hip-hop hero whose highly public life unravelled after Anele [AKA’s girlfriend who died a year before his death] plummeted to her death.

AKA’s parents, Tony and Lynn Forbes have distanced themselves from the book, expressing their anger and disapproval, adding that they they find the intended publication of the book and the timing distasteful and opportunistic.

They added that the family of the deceased are not in any way associated with Melinda Ferguson’s book.

They said, “We are not in any way associated with Melinda Ferguson’s book and we do not endorse it. In the same breath, we distance ourselves from the contents of the book.

When Melinda reached out to us, we respectfully and rightfully declined to contribute to her book.

At this stage we cannot give any further comment on the book as we are unaware of its contents. We do, however, find the intended publication of the book and the timing distasteful and opportunistic.”

Melinda added, “I’m not going to lie here… the last 24 hours have been a lot. While I knew that the book would probably cause a stir, I did not expect the crazy responses that it has received since someone broke the news on social media yesterday.

While I have been touched by the love and support I’ve received I have also felt deeply affected and misunderstood by the spitting vitriol. I know we live in a world of social media, where unkindness and callousness drive the conversation, but it’s a lot.

I wrote this book in an attempt to try and understand a story about two people who fell down a rabbit hole of toxic love. Something kept driving me to keep on in search of some kind of truth around what happened.

And why they were now both dead … I have been through my own kind of hell in my life as an addict and as someone who has embarked on dangerous and obsessive relationships. Their story spoke to me. It literally broke my heart.

While researching and writing, I found it especially tragic that Anele, who had just turned 22 when she died, has no actual voice in this book. Besides a few utterings on social media, there are no records of any of her statements or interviews in the public realm. She had yet to make her mark, so I had to rely on what other people have said about a significant character in this story.

In the last moments of Anele’s life, as she lay on the tar after she had plummeted from the 10th storey of the Pepperclub in Cape Town, she silently mouthed the words: Please help me. As I got deeper and deeper into my writing, I felt her call grow louder and louder.”

WOW.