A forensic evidence expert has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the death of Anele Tembe, telling an inquest that the physical evidence is not consistent with the possibility that she slipped and fell from a hotel balcony.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jeremy Philander testified that he believed Tembe may possibly have been pushed from the balcony of a Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town in April 2021.
Tembe, who was engaged to late rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, died after falling from the 10th floor of the hotel.
Presented evidence
Philander presented evidence relating to the time it took Tembe’s body to fall and the speed at which it would have struck the ground.
“The physical evidence is not consistent with the possibility that the deceased slipped and fell from the balcony,” he said.
He added that calculations placed the time taken for the body to fall at between 2.3 and 2.6 seconds.
“The absolute minimum impact velocity was calculated at 82km/h, a velocity high enough to cause serious damage to the human body and most likely death,” Philander testified.
His evidence raises further questions about the circumstances of Tembe’s death, which has remained the subject of public attention since 2021.
However, the testimony reflects the expert’s assessment of the physical evidence and does not, on its own, establish that Tembe was pushed.
Tony Forbes welcomes progress in the inquest
Tony Forbes, AKA’s father, said he was pleased that the inquest was finally gaining momentum after five years.
He said he was prepared to remain patient and allow the legal process to run its course as he attended proceedings to listen to the evidence.
“I’m happy that the inquest is resuming. Um, it’s been five years since the incident. So, I think it’s good that, you know, finally, the inquest is gaining momentum. So, I’m happy to be here and observe and listen and understand,” he said.
Forbes said he wanted justice to take its course and was willing to wait for the process to unfold.
The inquest is examining the circumstances surrounding Anele Tembe’s death and the evidence presented may help establish what happened in April 2021.
For now, Philander’s testimony has placed the physical evidence surrounding the fatal fall under renewed scrutiny.
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