Forensic linguist testifies that Mbenenge sent emojis with sexual connotations to Mengo

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC DETAILS OF A SEXUAL NATURE

JOHANNESBURG - Forensic and legal linguist, Dr Zakeera Docrat, has testified that Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge sent emojis with sexual connotations to high court secretary, Andiswa Mengo.

In 2021, the senior judge sent Mengo an emoji of a half-peeled banana.

However, Docrat said this was not representative of a fruit and instead was intended to depict a man’s private parts.

READ: Emojis sent by EC top judge Mbenenge interpreted to mean he lusted after high court secretary Mengo

Docrat is testifying before the Judicial Conduct Tribunal investigating allegations of sexual harassment against Mbenenge after Mengo accused him of making unwanted sexual advances towards her between 2021 and 2022.

On the evening of 17 June 2021, Mbenenge is alleged to have sent a series of messages to Mengo, which he later deleted.

But one message from the judge president stands out in the midst of the chain of texts, the letters "BJ" followed by the equals sign and a question mark – Mengo testified that she understood this to refer to oral sex.

In the days that followed, Mbenenge sent the junior staffer an emoji of a half-peeled banana, which evidence leader, Advocate Salome Scheepers, probed Docrat on.

"He said, and the translation was 'I was going to give you this one' and then he followed it up with an emoji of the peeled banana. How do you interpret that?"

Docrat’s testimony corroborated Mengo’s evidence in January this year and was also informed by the bj previously sent the Judge President.

"The peeled banana within this context means a circumcised penis."

Mengo responded with four laughing emojis, which Docrat has said is her default response when she’s at a loss for words.