A footprint on a hotel balcony railing and the absence of fingerprints on the rail were among the forensic findings presented as the inquest into Anele Tembe’s death resumed.
Investigators found a footprint believed to be Anele Tembe’s on the outer edge of the balcony railing at the hotel where she fell to her death, the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court heard on Monday.
The evidence was presented by a senior police officer who testified about the forensic examination conducted after Tembe fell from the 10th floor of the Pepperclub Hotel on 11 April 2021.
The officer told the court that investigators also identified partial footprints facing the door of the hotel room occupied by Tembe and her fiancé, rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes. He said the position of the footprint on the railing suggested Tembe’s back had been facing the city.
Investigators did not recover fingerprints from the balcony railing. The officer attributed this to possible contamination of the scene, explaining that people who looked over the railing after the incident may have wiped away any prints.
He also described climbing over the railing himself during the investigation and said he believed it would have been difficult to do so without touching it. The only fingerprints recovered inside the hotel room belonged to Forbes, the court heard.
Further evidence concerned injuries observed on Forbes when police examined the scene. A crime scene investigator and photographer testified that he had scratches on his back and chest. Bloodstains were also identified on bedding and towels inside the room.
Questions were raised during cross-examination about whether a J88 medico-legal examination report had been completed for Forbes on the day of Tembe’s death. The officer said he had recorded the injuries visible to him during his examination, noting that Forbes was wearing trousers at the time.
Forbes’ father, Tony Forbes, attended Monday’s proceedings and addressed the family’s decision not to appoint legal representation at the outset of the inquest.
Speaking outside the court, he explained that the family had considered how to manage resources in relation to the deceased estate. He emphasised that the decision did not prevent them from seeking legal representation later.
Seven more witnesses, including police officials and medical experts, are expected to give evidence over the next three days. Their testimony will add to the evidence being considered by the court as the inquest continues.