AKA's fiancée, Nelli Tembe, dies in Cape Town hotel tragedy

11 April 2021 - 13:32 By Karishma Thakurdin, Jessica Levitt, Kyle Zeeman and Aron Hyman
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The road outside the Pepperclub Hotel in central Cape Town was closed by police on Sunday morning.
The road outside the Pepperclub Hotel in central Cape Town was closed by police on Sunday morning.
Image: Aron Hyman

Police were on Sunday morning investigating the death of 22-year-old Nelli Tembe, the fiancée of well-known musician AKA, at the five-star Pepperclub Hotel in central Cape Town.

AKA's publicist, Phumza Nohashe, said the Forbes and Tembe families would release a statement soon.

Witnesses at the scene described hearing a scream, followed by a “loud doef” sound, and said they had also heard a man shouting.

A source close to AKA said he was "inconsolable".

"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.

Western Cape SA Police Service media liaison Capt FC 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," the police said in a statement.

Police blocked off the road outside the hotel.

This is a developing story.

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