Nelli Tembe, the fiancée of popular South African hip hop artist, Kiernan Jerryd Forbes, popularly known as AKA, has died after she reportedly jumped out from the tenth floor of a hotel in the early hours of Sunday, April 11.
The police said they are investigating the death of the 22-year-old lady which occurred at the five-star Pepperclub Hotel in central Cape Town.
The details around the incident are still sketchy, but Western Cape SA Police spokesperson, Captain Fredierick van Wyk said crime-scene experts were looking for clues at the hotel.
“Cape Town Central police are investigating an inquest case after an incident at a hotel this morning at about 7.45am on the corners of Loop and Bloem streets, Cape Town CBD, where the body of a 22-year-old woman was found deceased,” he said in a statement.
AKA’s publicist, Phumza Nohashe, said the Forbes and Tembe families would release a statement soon, which they later did.
A source close to the musician said he was “inconsolable”.
Witnesses at the scene described hearing shouting and a “loud doof” sound, and said they had heard a man calling security and crying.
“Paramedics on scene have said a female had allegedly jumped from the 10th floor of that building. When paramedics arrived on scene, she had sustained polytraumatic injuries,” Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst said.
“She was in a critical condition and they started a full life-support resuscitation. Unfortunately her injuries were too severe and she was declared deceased,” he added.
Pepperclub Hotel general manager Efi Ella also confirmed that a young woman had fallen from one of the upper floors of the hotel at 7.30am on Sunday.
The couple got engaged only two months ago.