A Palmview family is searching for answers and closure following the death of their 25-year-old son, Nakeel Singh, who drowned at a guesthouse in Queenstown, Eastern Cape, in late November.
Singh had been on a search for greener pastures, and he tragically died after calling his family to let them know that he had arrived safely at the guesthouse and wish them good night. The professional chef had travelled with a friend to the Eastern Cape after receiving a job offer as a sales representative for a steel company.
He had been struggling to land a permanent job as chef after loosing his job at a major restaurant in Durban, due to the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. Speaking to the Phoenix Tabloid, Shivneta said her brother was excited to go to the Eastern Cape and about the job.
“When the regulations eased, he worked as a food promoter at malls and was only able to get part-time work at restaurants, which worried and stressed him out as he had a car to pay for. While my parents assisted him financially, we encouraged him not to give up on looking for a permanent position. After all the uncertainty, the sales representative position in the Eastern Cape was a good place for him to start especially after not being able to get a permanent job in two years so he was very excited about going. It was something new, at a different province which brought a sense of hope for him,” said Shivneta.
According to the family, Nakeel and a friend drove up to the Eastern Cape using his car on 21 November 2022. “Upon arriving in the Eastern Cape, where his accommodation was fully paid for in Queenstown, he spoke to us on the phone and told us that he had arrived safely. He sounded very happy and said he would speak to us soon. On the night of 23 November, just before he died, he video-called our family while he was in the pool. He was so happy and jovial and showed us the guest house they were booked at via the call. Before hanging up the phone, we all said good night and exchanged words of affection,” she said.
A few minutes after speaking to her brother, Shivneta received a heart wrenching call informing her about his death. “I was told that he had drowned in the pool. I was so shocked because we had just spoken on the phone. I panicked and didn’t know how to tell my parents, I went into their room and told them something bad had happened to Nakeel. He was discovered floating in the pool and declared dead at the scene by paramedics. We don’t really know what transpired,” she said.
“According to the caretaker who saw him last, at around 10.30pm, Nakeel was apparently sitting on the step of the pool and no one knows what happened thereafter. The discovery was made by his friend after looking for him as he hadn’t retuned to his room and it was getting late. He went looking for him everywhere until he saw something black in the pool and when he went down there, he realised it was Nakeel and began screaming for help,” added Shivneta.
The traumatised sibling said in the search for information on how the incident happened, they were informed by the lodge that they do not have any camera footage. She said the family is waiting on the police report which may give them some closure.
“The incident has been a traumatic experience for my entire family, as one moment Nakeel was happy and smiling and the next he was no longer with us. He will be dearly missed by everyone who knew him. He always had the biggest and brightest smile on his face which brought so much happiness to everyone around him. Being triplets along with my sister Shivecka, we always shared a close, unbreakable bond – it’s always been the three of us and without him, I feel like a huge part of us is missing. We still haven’t unpacked his luggage, it’s too painful for us. At 25, we didn’t think that one of us would be gone,” said Shivneta.
Nakeel’s father, Anesh Singh said his son’s death has dealt a huge blow on his family. “We are all devastated and cannot wrap our heads around his sudden passing. It’s hard for us to accept that he is no more. He was very family orientated and the glue that kept everyone together. The past few weeks have really been tough on us as a family but we are grateful to everyone who has been supporting us during this difficult time. An inquest has been opened with the police in the area and we are still awaiting the forensic results which will be made available to us in two weeks,” said Singh.
Nakeel graduated as a professional chef in 2015 and worked at some of the best hotels in Durban and Johannesburg.
