Mbenenge accuses Mengo of 'embellishing' sexual harassment complaint against him
The Eastern Cape judge president has questioned why Mengo would wait a period of 11 months before laying her official complaint against him.
Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge took to the witness stand to detail his relationship with his subordinate, Andiswa Mengo on 7 July 2025. Picture: Jacques Nelles/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - Eastern Cape Judge President, Selby Mbenenge, has accused High Court secretary, Andiswa Mengo, of embellishing her sexual harassment complaint against him.
The senior judge said he lost interest in the junior staffer and stopped texting her in February 2022.
Mbenenge has questioned why Mengo would wait a period of 11 months before laying her official complaint against him.
He testified before the Judicial Conduct Tribunal sitting in Sandton, Johannesburg, as it continues its misconduct probe against him.
The judge at the centre of controversy, lost his cool when asked why Mengo could have laid a sexual harassment complaint against him.
Mbenenge said Mengo would have lodged her grievance while he was actively pursuing her.
Mbenenge accused her of being in cahoots with unnamed persons when she made the allegations that have the potential to have him impeached.
“Some people somewhere, well, including the complainant herself, thought that we should embellish this claim by saying something happened on the 15th, and then when it turns out that, uh-uh, we've got a problem, let's go for the 14th, because there had to be this event that occurred in Umthatha, which is fallacious, which is a fabrication. But when reflecting, I can't help but say, you know what, the complainant could never have done this all by herself.”
Mbenenge said this was done to bolster what he said is an otherwise fragile case against him.
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