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FILE | Complainant Andiswa Mengo testifies at the Judicial Conduct Tribunal probing sexual harassment allegations against Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge on January 20, 2025.
Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge says that when he communicated with Judges’ Secretary Andiswa Mengo, he did so as a social being, not as a senior court official.
Evidence leader, Advocate Salome Scheepers is cross-examining the top Judge on his questions to Mengo, saying he sought to cross a personal boundary.
Mbenenge is facing allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace in the form of interactions and electronic communications.
He insists that when he communicated with Mengo, he never imposed his title as Judge President on her.
This is despite Mengo’s testimony that she viewed him as a Judge President and did not know how to respond to his alleged advances.
“The direct answer to your question is, I never imposed myself as a Judge President. The conversation was not between a Judge President and a secretary or a junior staff, it was a conversation between two adults. I was simply a social being when I was talking to her.”
[WATCH]
Judge President Mbenenge denies using his position as JP when speaking to the complainant, he says he was just being social. pic.twitter.com/hJFR4z0aUU— SABC News (@SABCNews) July 9, 2025