Nelli Tembe, the fiancée of South African rapper AKA, has died after falling from the 10th floor of a hotel building in Cape Town.
According to local media outlet TimesLive, 22-year-old Tembe fell from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Central Cape Town on Sunday, April 11, 2021.
The family of Anele “Nelli” Tembe and AKA, whose real name is Kiernan Jarryd Forbes, confirmed the death in a joint statement issued on Sunday afternoon.
“We are still in shock and dealing with our emotions, as she was an exceptional and gifted young woman with so much life ahead of her. She had a sweet nature about her and was always nurturing to those about her,” the statement said.
The statement added: “Her fiancé, Kiernan Forbes, is currently inconsolable and is surrounded by family and closest friends. At this hour of our grief, we humbly request that our families be given privacy and time to heal.”
IOL reported that the police crime-scene experts were looking for clues at the hotel on Sunday. South African Police Service spokesperson FC van Wyk said:
“Cape Town Central police are investigating an inquest case after an incident at a hotel this morning at about 07:45 on the corners of Loop and Bloem Street, Cape Town CBD where the body of a 22-year-old woman was found deceased.”
TshisaLIVE reported that witnesses who were staying at the hotel described how they had heard a woman screaming, followed by a loud “doef” sound and then a man shouting.
Paramedics responded to the fall outside the hotel where they assessed her but her condition “rapidly deteriorated”.
“Medics assessed the patient who had sustained critical injuries and was treated on scene by an advanced life support paramedic. While stabilizing the patient her condition rapidly deteriorated and she was sadly declared deceased on the scene,” Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst.
This is coming two months after the AKA announced his engagement to Nelli Tembe. The rapper shared a picture of an engagement ring on Tembe’s finger with the caption, “21/02/21 – love of my life said Yesssss. 💍”.
Nelli also took to her Instagram stories to share the same photo with the caption, “I’m happy.”