AKA responds to reports of 'violence and drugs' in his relationship with Nelli Tembe

“I, Kiernan Jarryd Forbes have not been named to be a suspect but have been nothing but a co-operating witness,” AKA said.

09 May 2021 - 11:06 By deepika naidoo
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AKA has addressed allegations surrounding his relationship with late fiancée Anele 'Nelli' Tembe.
AKA has addressed allegations surrounding his relationship with late fiancée Anele 'Nelli' Tembe.
Image: AKA/ Instagram

This article has been updated to reflect comment from the police.

Rapper AKA has issued a public statement in response to reports of alleged “violence and drugs” in his relationship with his late fiancée Nelli Tembe, saying he would not be drawn into exposing their troubles as a couple to defend himself against “one-sided views”.

The rapper's statement comes in the wake of a News24 report, which claimed to have seen images where “AKA can be seen using his hands to violently break down a wooden door to enter the bedroom in their apartment in Bryanston, Johannesburg where Tembe was hiding”.

The incident allegedly took place on March 13. 

Sunday World also reported on the alleged incident, as well as allegations of "drug use and incidents of violence", which apparently plagued the couple's relationship.

AKA slammed the insinuations, labelling them as an “attempt to disparage his name and Anele's character”. 

“What makes it even sadder is the knowledge that some of the people, she and I loved and entrusted with our deepest troubles, are now using those as weapons to set a negative narrative on my character.

“I am a passionate and emotional person. What I will not do and stand for is watching people attempt to disparage my name and, importantly, Anele's to suit a narrative we both never signed up for,” said AKA.

The rapper admitted that he and Nellie had faced troubles in their relationship but said he refused to be drawn into exposing those in the wake of Nelli's death.

“As numb as I was at Anele's funeral, I took in every word imparted, the direct ones and all those filled with innuendos. I will not be part of speaking on or exposing our troubles as a couple, to defend myself from one-sided views that are portrayed out of their full context. Every story has two sides and so does every video, image and message.” 

Nelli died on April 11 after apparently falling from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub hotel in Cape Town. The matter has been under investigation by police. 

At Nelli's funeral on April 16, her father and prominent businessman Moses Tembe moved to set the record straight on circumstances surrounding her death. 

“As Anele's father, I categorically state that Anele was neither suicidal nor did she commit suicide. We must as a matter of priority deal with the scourge that bedevils our youth. Alcohol which is overused and drugs. Fellow South Africans we better wake up and smell the coffee, we have a serious problem with substance abuse.

“I cannot allow an unfortunate narrative to go unchallenged, a narrative that irks me to no end ... that is 'Anele was chronically suicidal'. All I can say is, until Anele turned 21, not a single member of her family, my family would have associated her with suicide,” he said. 

TshisaLIVE has reached out to police for an updated comment on the investigation into Nelli's death.

Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut - who would not be drawn into sharing details - issued the following statement.

"Kindly be advised that the circumstances surrounding the death inquest you are referring to are still under investigation and at this stage there are no new developments to report." read the comment SAPS.


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