UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA)
College of Law
⋄
OVM3701 ASSIGNMENT 3
Semester 1, 2026
⋄
Module Code: OVM3701
Module Name: Victimology and Criminal Investigative Man-
agement
Assignment No.: Assignment 3
Due Date: 2026
Semester: Semester 1, 2026
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for OVM3701
at the University of South Africa.
,UNISA | OVM3701 Enyobeni Tavern: Forensic Investigation
Introduction
On 26 June 2022, twenty-one people died inside the Enyobeni Tavern in Scenery Park, East
London, during a celebration of hlanjwa iphepha (Wikipedia, 2022). The youngest victim was
thirteen years old. No visible injuries were found on most of the bodies, and the cause of
death remained uncertain for weeks. What followed was one of the most complex multi-
disciplinary criminal investigations in recent Eastern Cape history, involving forensic pathol-
ogy, toxicology, crime scene analysis, and eyewitness accounts. This essay discusses the
value of expert forensic assistance at the crime scene, identifies the specific fields of forensic
science that were applicable to the Enyobeni case, and then explains how the cognitive inter-
view technique could have been deployed to gather information from surviving victims and
eyewitnesses. The methods available for recording such interviews are also addressed.
Definition of Key Concepts
Forensic science is the systematic application of scientific principles and techniques to the
analysis of evidence in a legal context, serving the interests of justice by assisting courts and
investigators in establishing facts (Wesco Forensic Services, 2024).
Expert witness refers to a person with specialised knowledge, skill, experience, or training in
a particular field, whose testimony a court may receive to assist it in understanding complex
technical matters that lie beyond the knowledge of ordinary persons (Du Pokoy, 2025).
Cognitive interview is a structured questioning technique developed by Fisher and Geiselman
(1992) designed to enhance the accuracy and completeness of information retrieved from the
memory of cooperative witnesses and victims.
Toxicology in the forensic context is the scientific discipline concerned with detecting, identi-
fying, and interpreting the effects of chemical substances, poisons, and drugs on the human
body, particularly in cases of suspected poisoning or drug-facilitated crime (Auckloo and
Davies, 2019).
Crime scene refers to any location where evidence related to a criminal offence may be
found, including the primary scene where the offence occurred and secondary scenes linked
to it (South African Police Service, 2022).
Page 1 of 15
, UNISA | OVM3701 Enyobeni Tavern: Forensic Investigation
Question 1.1: Expert Assistance at the Crime Scene and Applicable Fields of Forensic
Science
1.1.1 The Value of Expert Assistance at a Crime Scene
When police arrive at a crime scene, they bring with them the power to secure, observe, and
document. What they often cannot bring alone is the depth of scientific knowledge needed
to interpret what they find. That is where expert assistance becomes indispensable. In the
investigation of crime, the investigator must use all possible lawful resources, methods, and
techniques to uncover the truth, and courts rely on having all relevant information placed
before them because criminals continuously refine their methods to stay ahead of the police
(OVM3701 Study Guide, 2026).
At the Enyobeni Tavern, the scene itself resisted easy interpretation. Seventeen bodies were
found on the dance floor, in chairs, and on couches with no obvious signs of physical injury,
while witnesses reported that some people had been unable to breathe (Wikipedia, 2022).
The police spokesperson acknowledged publicly that the cause of death was either some-
thing ingested or inhaled. Without expert forensic assistance, that ambiguity might never
have been resolved, and the prospects of a successful prosecution would have been remote.
Key Distinction
Expert evidence and reliability: Du Pokoy (2025:8) notes that in Holtzhauzen v Roodt
the South African court held that expert evidence is likely to carry more weight than
ordinary evidence, and therefore higher standards of accuracy and objectivity must
be applied. This makes the selection and deployment of qualified forensic experts a
matter of legal, not merely investigative, importance.
The value of expert assistance can be understood across three broad dimensions.
First, experts preserve and interpret evidence that would otherwise be lost or misread. At Eny-
obeni, a decision was taken to deploy a high-level delegation including crime scene investiga-
tors and bomb disposal technicians from both provincial and national SAPS levels (AllAfrica,
2022). This reflects the principle that the range of expertise brought to a scene must match
the complexity of the crime. Experts know how to collect samples in a manner that prevents
contamination, document findings using chain-of-custody procedures, and apply scientific
methods that will withstand scrutiny in court.
Page 2 of 15
College of Law
⋄
OVM3701 ASSIGNMENT 3
Semester 1, 2026
⋄
Module Code: OVM3701
Module Name: Victimology and Criminal Investigative Man-
agement
Assignment No.: Assignment 3
Due Date: 2026
Semester: Semester 1, 2026
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for OVM3701
at the University of South Africa.
,UNISA | OVM3701 Enyobeni Tavern: Forensic Investigation
Introduction
On 26 June 2022, twenty-one people died inside the Enyobeni Tavern in Scenery Park, East
London, during a celebration of hlanjwa iphepha (Wikipedia, 2022). The youngest victim was
thirteen years old. No visible injuries were found on most of the bodies, and the cause of
death remained uncertain for weeks. What followed was one of the most complex multi-
disciplinary criminal investigations in recent Eastern Cape history, involving forensic pathol-
ogy, toxicology, crime scene analysis, and eyewitness accounts. This essay discusses the
value of expert forensic assistance at the crime scene, identifies the specific fields of forensic
science that were applicable to the Enyobeni case, and then explains how the cognitive inter-
view technique could have been deployed to gather information from surviving victims and
eyewitnesses. The methods available for recording such interviews are also addressed.
Definition of Key Concepts
Forensic science is the systematic application of scientific principles and techniques to the
analysis of evidence in a legal context, serving the interests of justice by assisting courts and
investigators in establishing facts (Wesco Forensic Services, 2024).
Expert witness refers to a person with specialised knowledge, skill, experience, or training in
a particular field, whose testimony a court may receive to assist it in understanding complex
technical matters that lie beyond the knowledge of ordinary persons (Du Pokoy, 2025).
Cognitive interview is a structured questioning technique developed by Fisher and Geiselman
(1992) designed to enhance the accuracy and completeness of information retrieved from the
memory of cooperative witnesses and victims.
Toxicology in the forensic context is the scientific discipline concerned with detecting, identi-
fying, and interpreting the effects of chemical substances, poisons, and drugs on the human
body, particularly in cases of suspected poisoning or drug-facilitated crime (Auckloo and
Davies, 2019).
Crime scene refers to any location where evidence related to a criminal offence may be
found, including the primary scene where the offence occurred and secondary scenes linked
to it (South African Police Service, 2022).
Page 1 of 15
, UNISA | OVM3701 Enyobeni Tavern: Forensic Investigation
Question 1.1: Expert Assistance at the Crime Scene and Applicable Fields of Forensic
Science
1.1.1 The Value of Expert Assistance at a Crime Scene
When police arrive at a crime scene, they bring with them the power to secure, observe, and
document. What they often cannot bring alone is the depth of scientific knowledge needed
to interpret what they find. That is where expert assistance becomes indispensable. In the
investigation of crime, the investigator must use all possible lawful resources, methods, and
techniques to uncover the truth, and courts rely on having all relevant information placed
before them because criminals continuously refine their methods to stay ahead of the police
(OVM3701 Study Guide, 2026).
At the Enyobeni Tavern, the scene itself resisted easy interpretation. Seventeen bodies were
found on the dance floor, in chairs, and on couches with no obvious signs of physical injury,
while witnesses reported that some people had been unable to breathe (Wikipedia, 2022).
The police spokesperson acknowledged publicly that the cause of death was either some-
thing ingested or inhaled. Without expert forensic assistance, that ambiguity might never
have been resolved, and the prospects of a successful prosecution would have been remote.
Key Distinction
Expert evidence and reliability: Du Pokoy (2025:8) notes that in Holtzhauzen v Roodt
the South African court held that expert evidence is likely to carry more weight than
ordinary evidence, and therefore higher standards of accuracy and objectivity must
be applied. This makes the selection and deployment of qualified forensic experts a
matter of legal, not merely investigative, importance.
The value of expert assistance can be understood across three broad dimensions.
First, experts preserve and interpret evidence that would otherwise be lost or misread. At Eny-
obeni, a decision was taken to deploy a high-level delegation including crime scene investiga-
tors and bomb disposal technicians from both provincial and national SAPS levels (AllAfrica,
2022). This reflects the principle that the range of expertise brought to a scene must match
the complexity of the crime. Experts know how to collect samples in a manner that prevents
contamination, document findings using chain-of-custody procedures, and apply scientific
methods that will withstand scrutiny in court.
Page 2 of 15
