The inquest into the death of Anele Tembe has heard that forensic reconstruction tests could not establish whether she jumped from a hotel balcony or was pushed.
The proceedings resumed at the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on Monday, with Lieutenant-Colonel Jeremy Philander, a chief forensic analyst, presenting evidence about tests conducted to reconstruct Tembe’s fatal fall.
Tembe, 22, died after falling from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town on 11 April 2021.
Philander told the court that investigators used life-sized models designed to match Tembe’s height and weight in an attempt to determine how the fall may have occurred.
According to his testimony, the initial reconstruction did not support the possibility that Tembe accidentally slipped from the balcony.
However, a subsequent simulation involving a forceful push produced a landing position that was consistent with the recorded impact point.
Under cross-examination, Philander said the reconstruction was compatible with both a jump and a push. The testing, however, could not determine which scenario occurred.
Footprint and Other Forensic Evidence
The court also heard evidence about a footprint believed to have been Tembe’s on the outside edge of the balcony railing.
Investigators reportedly found no fingerprints on the railing, while fingerprints recovered from inside the hotel room were identified as belonging to Tembe’s fiancé, the late rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes.
The court also heard evidence concerning scratches on Forbes and bloodstains found on bedding and towels.
The significance of this evidence remains a matter for the inquest to consider, and the testimony does not by itself establish how Tembe came to fall from the balcony.
Inquest Examining Circumstances of Tembe’s Death
Tembe was engaged to Forbes at the time of her death. Forbes was later shot dead in Durban in February 2023.
The inquest is examining the circumstances surrounding Tembe’s death, including whether any unlawful act or negligence contributed to it.
Monday’s proceedings focused on the limitations and findings of the forensic reconstruction, with Philander’s evidence indicating that investigators could not conclusively determine whether Tembe jumped or was pushed.
Further police and medical witnesses are expected to give evidence during the proceedings.
Forbes’ father, Tony Forbes, was also present in court on Monday.
