Judge President Selby Mbenenge denies sexual harassment
Judge President Selby Mbenenge
Tribunal Hears Judge President’s Testimony
The Judicial Conduct Tribunal, currently probing the allegations, heard Mbenenge’s testimony as he detailed his professional relationship with Mengo. Mengo alleges that during the alleged incident, Mbenenge summoned her to his chambers, pointed to his private area, and propositioned her for a sexual act.
“It is lies. It never happened,” stated Judge President Mbenenge during his testimony. “I look at it as a campaign to shame me… I do not mind being accused of things I did, but not things that I did not do.”
Controversy Surrounds Witness Testimony in Mbenenge Tribunal
The tribunal proceedings have not been without controversy. On Friday, before the testimony of Unathi Sogoni, a stenographer at the Makhanda High Court and a former friend of complainant Andiswa Mengo, a separate matter arose concerning death threats received by Mengo.
It was revealed that on June 2, Mengo found a handwritten note at her desk stating, “A bullet is waiting for you.” However, Judicial Conduct Tribunal chairperson, retired Judge Bernard Ngoepe, denied Mbenenge’s counsel, Advocate Griffiths Madonsela, permission to introduce evidence related to this incident within the tribunal’s current scope.
Madonsela sought to present Sogoni’s testimony specifically on the aspect of power relationships between judges and secretaries, citing the late introduction of a previous witness who addressed similar dynamics. However, evidence leader Salome Scheepers objected to the relevance of Sogoni’s intended testimony, arguing that it did not align with the core allegations before the tribunal.
Advocate Nasreen Rajab-Budlender, representing Andiswa Mengo, echoed these objections, emphasising that Sogoni is not an expert on gender or power imbalances and that expert testimony on power dynamics had already been heard from other witnesses, including secretaries.
After deliberations, the tribunal adjourned, with Judge President Mbenenge expected to continue his testimony when the hearing resumes.