Mengo removed Mbenenge’s portrait from EC court’s halls, tribunal hears

JOHANNESBURG - The Judicial Conduct Tribunal investigating allegations of sexual harassment against Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge has heard that High Court secretary Andiswa Mengo removed his portrait from the halls of the court.

Director of court operations Denim Kroqwana advised that a case be opened with the police as a result but the portrait, which was stationed outside Mengo’s office, was put back but this time with extra security to prevent its removal.

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Kroqwana testified that he advised the court manager that the portrait remain, as it was not related to the sexual harassment allegation Mengo levelled against Mbenenge.

“She was busy with a process of trying to get some lockable frames on the walls. She has managed to procure that and then once she did that, she placed everything back on the wall.”

Mengo accuses the judge president of sexually harassing her between 2021 and 2022 and testified before the tribunal in January but was confronted with the image when she returned to the court.

Mengo’s legal counsel, Advocate Nasreen Rajab-Budlender, explained to the tribunal that this traumatised Mengo.

“If Ms Mengo was, in fact, asked, she would explain that she was so traumatised at having to look at this portrait in the context of having to give evidence here, in the context of a complaint that preceded it, that she could not handle it anymore and she removed it and she accepts that she did that.”