Mbenenge sexual harassment probe to resume hearing testimonies

JOHANNESBURG - The sexual harassment probe against Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge is on Monday expected to resume hearing testimonies following a week of testimonies about steamy emojis that have landed the senior judge in hot water.

The Judicial Conduct Tribunal investigating Mbenenge’s conduct will sit for a further five days as it pieces together the events that led to the complaint against the division’s top judge.

High Court secretary Andiswa Mengo has accused Mbenenge of making unwanted sexual advances towards her between 2021 and 2022.

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The director of facilities and security at the Office of the Chief Justice, Neil Naidoo, is expected to be the next witness to give testimony before the Judicial Conduct Tribunal.

The tribunal last week heard that Mengo confided in some of her colleagues, who eventually advised that she engage seniors on the allegations, leading to the initial complaint in 2022.

But that complaint was misplaced, forcing Mengo to depose to another affidavit.

However, when she did this, she alleged that she did not have sight of the initial grievance, something that was disputed by Kutlwano Moretlwe, the witness who assisted her in drafting the complaint against the senior judge.

“I didn’t give her a copy of the complaint because she finalised her complaint when she typed the previous night, so she ought to have saved it on her laptop. So, I can’t give her a copy of something that she already has.”

As Naidoo takes the stand, it’s expected that he will also be questioned on his version of events when the complaint was laid.