It’s been over a month since the passing of Anele ‘Nelli’ Tembe and her fiancé, AKA, speaks exclusively with Bar Leader about allegations that he abused her during the relationship.
He also spoke about what happened on the day she died at a Cape Town hotel.
AKA, real name Kiernan Forbes, tells Mrototo that he and Anele had been having a “particularly difficult week” with lots of arguments and disagreements.
He says when they sat down to speak, it would get heated and they would start arguing.
AKA says he was still in a state of grief following her death.
“She was my wife to be. I wake up every day and I find it very hard to get up in the morning and make it through the day.”
Anele gave back her engagement ring
In the hours leading up to her death, AKA says he opted to remove himself “from the situation” and wanted to book another room.
The rapper says during the argument, Anele gave him back her engagement ring.
He says he left the room that he shared with Anele but when he went back, he took her phone and they got into another argument.
“Anele threatened to kill herself, to jump off the balcony.”
He says he remembered calling the hotel reception, asking for security to come and assist and then walking out of the room, and she was not there.
“I went to the bathroom and when I came out of the bathroom, she was not in the room. I look around and she’s not there. I went to the balcony and looked down at the street and that’s where she was,” he recalls.
He could not pinpoint when exactly Anele jumped – whether it was when he was in the bathroom or out of the room.
READ: AKA engaged to 21-year-old fiancé Nelli Tembe
AKA addresses shocking videos
AKA declined to go into detail on the issues that the couple shared, saying it was “tumultuous” and they were “very passionate”.
He says on the day of her death, he and Anele spoke about various issues.
“Anele is not here to speak for herself. Anele is not here to give her side,” he said.
Commenting on the videos and images released, days following Anele’s death showing him breaking down a door, AKA says he knows what it looks like and understands that he needs to own it.
“I regret and it’s not something that I am proud of but I am not an abuser. I would not abuse Anele, I treated her like gold,” he says.
AKA also addresses rumours of drugs in their relationship. He admits that he has tried drugs before but declined to comment for Anele.
“I am not going to speak on that.”
Anele falls from 10th floor
Anele fell to her death last month.
At the time, medics reported that around 8am on Sunday, 11 April, a 22-year-old woman allegedly jumped from the 10th floor landing on the road below.
“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 media liaison, Shawn Herbst, said at the time.
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TRIGGER WARNING: Not suitable for sensitive viewers.
