Tribunal hears that EC judge president regularly initiated conversations around his private parts with complainant

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

JOHANNESBURG - The Judicial Conduct Tribunal has heard how Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge regularly initiated conversations around his private parts with a junior staffer in his division.

Andiswa Mengo, a High Court Secretary, testified before the tribunal on Friday that the judge alluded to his manhood by using the word "python".

Mengo laid a sexual harassment complaint against the senior judge in 2023 alleging that the top jurist made sexual advances towards her from 2021 to 2022.

READ: High Court secretary tells tribunal EC Judge President Mbenenge sent her explicit videos

The tribunal is investigating whether these interactions, which took place electronically and in person, were consensual as Mbenenge claims.

Copies of the messages show that Mbenenge sent a photo of a half-naked woman to the junior staffer.

After several exchanges, Mengo expressed her certainty that the judge’s imagination takes him to "the pitch of Mount Everest".

Later that evening, Mbenenge said the following as read out by evidence leader, advocate Salome Scheepers: "And then the respondent replied to your 'Don’t ask me' with 'Python?' at 19:05 that evening. What did you understand by that message?"

The messages suggest that texts of this nature were a common feature between the pair.

Assisted by an interpreter, Mengo explained what she understood the message.

"My understanding was that he is now talking about his private part."

The judge then said: "Situation now please?", referring to a video that Mengo had sent.

Asked what the contents of the video were, the complainant said she could not recall.