Tribunal hears that emojis Mbenenge sent to Mengo had sexual connotations

JOHANNESBURG - The Judicial Conduct Tribunal investigating allegations of sexual harassment against Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge, has heard that the emojis he sent to a junior staffer in his division had sexual connotations attached to them.

Expert in information communication technology (ICT), Dr Vincent Mello testified that according to Emojipedia, the peach and eggplant emojis represent buttocks and the male private area, respectively.

However, he added that in 2015, there was a campaign to ban the usage of these emojis in this manner.

Mello is the second witness to be called by Mbenenge’s legal counsel to testify in his defence before the fact-finding body sitting in Sandton, Johannesburg.

Mbenenge’s counsel, Advocate Griffiths Madonsela, probed Mello on the use of the emojis between the two parties.

"Did the parties use emojis in any manner different to the manner in which they are ascribed in the Unicode?"

Mello testifies that in the WhatsApp conversations between Mbenenge and Mengo, most of the emojis used are that with a standardised meaning.

However, two stood out for him.

"I made an observation as well of the two emojis in the document I received. There is the peach as well as the eggplant, and when you go to emojipedia, it does also make reference to say a peach would generally represent the bums and then the eggplant, the male private part."

Mello told the hearing that emojis were used approximately 189 times on the social media platform, WhatsApp, between the pair. With the judge president using them 97 times and Mengo - 69.

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