Tribunal probing sexual harassment claims against Mbenenge reconvenes October for oral arguments

Eyewitness News

11-07-2025

JOHANNESBURG - The Judicial Conduct Tribunal investigating allegations of sexual harassment against Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge will reconvene on 21 and 22 October for oral arguments.
The fact-finding body adjourned on Thursday after evidence leader, Advocate Salome Scheepers concluded with her cross-examination of the top judge.
ALSO READ:
- Evidence leader says there's not enough proof to suggest Mbenenge didn't try to expose his penis to Mengo
- Mbenenge accuses Mengo of lying to Judicial Conduct Tribunal
- Mbenenge testifies syringe emoji sent to Mengo was medical after conceding it could be viewed sexually
Mbenenge is accused of making unwanted sexual advances towards High Court secretary Andiswa Mengo between 2021 and 2022.
The judge president denies this and said he was gutted that the junior staffer posted their sexual conversations on her status on social media platform WhatsApp.
In 2022, after several months of exchanging messages with Mbenenge, Mengo posted her sultry messages with the senior judge on her status on WhatsApp.
The splash caused murmurs within the corridors of the Eastern Cape High Court, with Mengo then proposing a roundtable with some of the division's judges to discuss the matter.
However, Mbenenge pulled out of the suggested meeting, something Scheepers questioned.
'I said I could never, in my sound and sober senses, attend a meeting where I'm going to be confronted with pictures that I say I never transmitted to the complainant, and thanks God I did not,' Mbenenge said.
Scheepers replied, 'That was just a normal question. I don't know why you are so defensive. This tribunal has not heard your version. We only heard the version from Mr Krokwana and the complainant. That's why I afforded you the opportunity. Why did you cancel it?'
Scheepers asked Mbenenge why he did not pursue any other means for reconciliation.
The judge president testified that he tried calling the complainant, only to discover that he had been blocked and then reached out to her close allies to appeal to her.
Now that Scheepers has concluded with her cross-examination and there was no re-examination by Mbenenge's legal counsel, the parties will gather again three months from now before the tribunal considers the evidence before it.