Eastern Cape Judge, President Selby Mbenenge, has admitted that he was interested in Judges’ Secretary Andiswa Mengo, but vehemently rejects allegations of indecent exposure and crude images sent to Mengo, labelling it as a “lie” designed to “shame him”.
Mbenenge is accused of sexually harassing Mengo through in-person interactions and electronic communication between June 2021 and November 2022.
Judge President Selby Mbenenge has taken the stand and seemingly justified his interest in Mengo stating there was nothing wrong with it.
“Let me just mention in passing, I know of judges who marry their secretaries in this country. Heavens did not fall. I don’t believe there was anything wrong,” says Mbenenge.
The crucial allegations that the top Judge faces, that are in dispute, are that he allegedly solicited an act of a sexual nature from Mengo and allegedly sent her an explicit image.
Mbenenge passionately refutes these allegations.
“I look at it as a campaign to shame me. It is lies, it never happened. The complainant knows as much as I do that it never took place,” he says.
As Mbenenge further delved into the allegations of November 14 and 15, 2022 he went into great details of gaps that he expected should have been investigated extensively, prior to persisting with the allegations before the tribunal, such as his car tracker report and the register of the court that showed Mengo left before former Judges’ Secretary, Zintle Nkqayi.
Mbenenge seemingly had further criticism for Evidence Leader Advocate, Salome Scheepers, in her role in the Tribunal,
“The context here is to say evidence leader, you are investigating, in an investigation process. You are not the complainant’s lawyer. You are not the prosecutor such as in a criminal case. It is incumbent on you to investigate in a true sense of the word, to interview people so when the time comes for this tribunal to hear evidence, we know who is going to say what. This notion about an evidence leader saying, well here are complainant’s witnesses, the rest you will see for yourself is not good,” he adds.
The tribunal continues with the top judge on the stand.
Judge President Selby Mbenenge testifies:
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