Tribunal hears that sex harassment complaint against EC Judge President Mbenenge not an isolated incident

JOHANNESBURG - The Judicial Conduct Tribunal has heard how High Court secretary, Andiswa Mengo, was told of similar incidents of alleged sexual harassment by Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge.  

Mengo said she was forced to leave the Eastern Cape and come to Gauteng, where she laid a formal complaint with the Office of the Chief Justice.   

Mengo delivered testimony on day six of hearings in the probe against the senior judge.

The junior staffer alleges that Mbenenge made unwanted sexual advances towards her between 2021 and 2022.

Mengo arrived in Gauteng on 6 December 2022 and headed to the Office of the Chief Justice to lay a formal complaint against Mbenenge.

Mengo said she was assisted in deposing her affidavit and did not write it herself due to her emotional state.

With the assistance of an interpreter, Mengo said that when she arrived, she was told that her complaint was not an isolated incident.
 
"The person mentioned it and said you are not the first person to come here and speak about this very same person."

After drafting the affidavit, she received assurance that then Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo, was awaiting the affidavit and would receive it.

However, the complainant said she neglected to make a copy of the document after finalising the process on 7 December 2022.

But the documents before the tribunal indicate that the complaint was laid on 12 January 2023.

Mengo provided the following explanation when probed on the discrepancies.

"I received a phone call from Kutlwano informing me that my complaint has been misplaced."

Because of this, Mengo said she was forced to depose of another affidavit but gave the assurance that the contents of the complaint remained the same.

The tribunal has adjourned for the day.

It's expected that this matter will be further probed when hearings resume on Tuesday.