Latest news with #Mengo
IOL News
5 days ago
- IOL News
Judge's secretary gets written death threat amid harassment inquiry
Andiswa Mengo, who accuses Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge of sexual assault, has received a death threat in the form of a letter left in her office. Image: Office of the Chief Justice / N Mabusela The Women's Legal Centre, which is representing the Eastern Cape High Court judge's secretary Andiswa Mengo in her sexual harassment complaint against Judge President Selby Mbenenge, has condemned the recent death threat sent to the court employee. This is after Mengo received a handwritten note left at her desk at court on Friday, with the words 'a bullet is waiting for you'. Mengo is still working at the high court. In a statement, the Women's Legal Centre confirmed that Mengo received a written death threat at her place of work. 'We can further confirm that this is not the first threat she has received since filing a complaint of sexual harassment against the Judge President of the Eastern Cape,' the centre said. The Judicial Conduct Tribunal is conducting a hearing into sexual harassment complaints made by Mengo against Mbenenge, which is due to resume on June 30. The legal centre, meanwhile, said that throughout the tribunal proceedings, it has consistently raised concerns about its client's safety and security. 'Following this latest threat, we have again raised the matter with her employer, the Office of the Chief Justice, as well as the Judicial Service Commission and the Tribunal panel,' the legal centre said. It stressed that the safety and well-being of Mengo and her family should be treated as a top priority. The legal centre said this incident reflects the precarious and dangerous position women find themselves in after reporting sexual harassment in the workplace. It added that this highlights the urgent need for victim-centred systems that prioritise physical and emotional protection. It said women should be able to speak out without fear and intimidation, or retaliation. 'The reality is that women who report sexual harassment are targeted and silenced. Ms Mengo's courage must be met with protection, not punishment,' the legal centre said. During the first sitting of the tribunal, Mengo gave evidence to the effect that Judge Mbenenge used his position of power to sexually harass and intimidate her. She testified about a plethora of WhatsApp messages between them and said Mbenenge had sent emojis, many of a sexual nature. She also claimed that Judge Mbenenge has sent her a picture depicting his private part - a claim the judge president vehemently denied. Mbenenge said that flirting took place between them but denied the sordid details as testified by Mengo.
IOL News
5 days ago
- Health
- IOL News
Andiswa Mengo's death threat underscores the risks for women confronting harassment
Andiswa Mengo, who accuses Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge of sexual assault, has received a death threat in the form of a letter left in her office. Image: Office of the Chief Justice / N Mabusela The Women's Legal Centre, which is representing the Eastern Cape High Court judge's secretary Andiswa Mengo in her sexual harassment complaint against Judge President Selby Mbenenge, is condemning the recent death threat sent to Mengo. This is after it has been reported that Mengo received a handwritten note left at her desk at court on Friday, in which it was said, 'a bullet is waiting for you'. In a statement, the Women's Legal Centre confirmed the incident in which Mengo received a written death threat at her place of work. 'We can further confirm that this is not the first threat she has received since filing a complaint of sexual harassment against the Judge President of the Eastern Cape,' the centre said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The Judicial Conduct Tribunal is conducting a hearing into sexual harassment complaints against Mbenenge, which is due to resume on June 30. The legal centre, meanwhile, said that throughout the tribunal proceedings, it has consistently raised concerns about its client's safety and security. 'Following this latest threat, we have again raised the matter with her employer, the Office of the Chief Justice, as well as the Judicial Service Commission and the Tribunal panel,' the legal centre said. It stressed that the safety and well-being of Mengo and her family should be treated as a top priority. The legal centre said this incident reflects the precarious and dangerous position women find themselves in after reporting sexual harassment in the workplace. It added that this highlights the urgent need for victim-centred systems that prioritise physical and emotional protection. It said women should be able to speak out without fear and intimidation, or retaliation. 'The reality is that women who report sexual harassment are targeted and silenced. Ms Mengo's courage must be met with protection, not punishment,' the legal centre said. During the first sitting of the Judicial Conduct Tribunal, Mengo gave evidence to the effect that Judge Mbenenge used his position of power to sexually harass and intimidate her. She testified about a plethora of WhatsApp messages, accompanied by the exchange of emojis between them, many of a sexual nature. She also claimed that Judge Mbenenge has sent her a picture depicting his private part - a claim the judge president vehemently denied. He acknowledged the flirting between them but denied the sordid details as testified by her.
Eyewitness News
6 days ago
- General
- Eyewitness News
Mengo claims she received death threats following her sex harassment complaint against EC Judge President Mbenenge
JOHANNESBURG - Eastern Cape High Court secretary, Andiswa Mengo, claims she has received death threats following her sexual harassment complaint against the division's judge president, Selby Mbenenge. Mengo's complaint is the first ever that has led to a probe which could lead to the judge president's impeachment. The top judge is accused of making unwanted sexual advances towards Mengo between 2021 and 2022. ALSO READ: • Judge Mbenenge may testify before tribunal probing sexual harassment allegations • Mengo removed Mbenenge's portrait from EC court's halls, tribunal hears • Mbenenge tribunal: Witness grilled on explicit content she received from Mengo • Mbenenge sent Mengo emojis with sexual undertones on WhatsApp, tribunal hears The tribunal has so far heard evidence from expert witnesses who have corroborated some of the testimony provided by Mengo in May. Hearings have been postponed to the end of June. Mengo laid her official sexual harassment complaint against the division's top judge in 2023. Since then, Mengo has been working in the same division of the high court, taking leave from work each time the Judicial Conduct Tribunal sits to investigate the allegations she has levelled against Mbenenge. Now, it's alleged that she received a handwritten note at her desk which stated that a "bullet was waiting for" her. During her evidence in chief before the tribunal, Mengo had also testified that she had received threats shortly after laying her complaint against the senior judge. While the tribunal is expected to sit again from 30 June, it's expected that the panel will be mindful of this. The matter has been escalated to the Office of the Chief Justice and law enforcement authorities.
Daily Maverick
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Judicial Conduct Tribunal highlights contested gendered and cultural understandings of emojis
Complicating matters at the hearing are completely divergent understandings of a range of emojis, from eggplants to peaches, from a dripping syringe to 'pervy' eyes, that shot between the Judge President and the legal secretary. Much is invested in the process and outcome of the Judicial Conduct Tribunal of Judge President of the Eastern Cape, Selby Mbenenge. This week, postponing the tribunal until 30 June, the chair, retired judge Bernard Ngoepe, repeated evidence leader advocate Salomé Scheepers' statement at the start of proceedings in February that the matter was 'unprecedented in the history of South Africa'. The complainant, 40-year-old legal secretary Andiswa Mengo, has accused the head of the Eastern Cape Division, Judge President Selby Mbenenge, 63, of sexually harassing her in a series of WhatsApps in 2021. At her side is formidable advocate Nasreen Rajab-Budlender, while Mbenenge has advocates Muzi Sikhakhane and Griffiths Madonsela in his corner. Both men, too, are formidable, but in quite a different fashion. Complicating matters are completely divergent views on gendered, linguistic and cultural understandings of a range of emojis, from eggplants to peaches, from a dripping syringe to 'pervy' eyes, that shot between the Judge President and the legal secretary. Power dynamics Most professional workplaces in South Africa have protocols and principles governing the role of leadership in hierarchical structures. This is something Rajab-Budlender has pointed out from the start. Yet this obvious power imbalance appears not to have moved Mbenenge's legal representatives, who have argued that Mengo had agency. They objected to proposed evidence to be presented by gender expert Dr Lisa Vetten, questioning its relevance. On Tuesday, Ngoepe ruled that Vetten would be allowed to testify and that he would 'rather err on the side of caution'. The tribunal could decide afterwards whether it was indeed relevant, he said. Language in pictures Last week, forensic linguist Dr Zakeera Docrat gave expert testimony with regard on the contexts of the WhatsApps between the Judge President and Mengo and the meaning of emojis. The YouTube transmissions of the tribunal have been marked 'GRAPHIC CONTENT' as a pre-warning to those watching the live proceedings online. Docrat had testified that Mbenenge's use of a banana, peach, eggplant and dripping syringe emojis had 'sexual connotations' and indicated that he wanted to be intimate with her. 'This was not a discussion about vegetables.' Docrat, who speaks, reads and understands isiXhosa, testified that Mbenenge's advances were unwanted and Mengo's responses – often featuring 'hysterical laughing' and 'embarrassed monkey' emojis – were because she did not know how else to react to his advances as he was her boss. Mbenenge, through his counsel, has admitted sending some of the messages and claims the relationship had been consensual. However, he has denied sending her a picture of his penis or asking her for oral sex in his chambers. The outcome of this tribunal will send a message to women and men about working rights in professional circumstances. In a country plagued by misogyny and patriarchal proprietary inclinations, the ruling must protect those with less agency. DM
IOL News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Judicial Conduct Tribunal postpones hearing for Judge President Selby Mbenenge
Judge President Selby Mbenenge is accused of sending complainant Andiswa Mengo untoward WhatsApp chats over an extended period. JP Mbenenge is accused of sexual harassment and misconduct. The Tribunal hearing has been postponed. Image: Office of the Chief Justice The Judicial Conduct Tribunal dealing with sexual harassment and misconduct complaints against Eastern Cape High Court Judge President (JP) Selby Mbenenge has hit another delay after proceedings were postponed on Tuesday. JP Mbenenge is accused of sending complainant Andiswa Mengo untoward WhatsApp chats over an extended period and in one incident it is alleged the he asked Mengo to engage in a sexual act in his chambers. Mengo lodged the complaints in December 2022. On Tuesday morning the hearing was scheduled to deal with the testimony of gender expert Lisa Vetten but following a discussion in chambers, retired Justice Bernard Ngoepe announced that the Tribunal would be postponed to allow Mbenenge's legal team to properly prepare. This followed after Ngoepe made a ruling that they, erring on the side of caution, would allow the testimony of Vetten to be heard and would later decide the relevance of it. Mbenenge's legal team objected to Vetten going ahead with her testimony on the grounds that the summary of her evidence was not delivered on time. The matter was set down for further Tribunal hearing from 30 June to 11 July. Andiswa Mengo Image: Office of the Chief Justice Making the ruling, Ngoepe said: 'We should rather allow evidence, even though there are arguments about its relevance, allow it nevertheless to be given. We allow it to be given because we are confident that if it is irrelevant, we will be able to hold accordingly at any time, even at the end of that evidence, we will say that it is irrelevant and put it aside. 'Contrast that with a situation where you exclude evidence which might well be relevant and material. We think in that case, we would have erred. Our resolve is that we should allow her to give her evidence and there would be no prejudice to anybody,' said Ngoepe. Up to this week, the Tribunal has heard the testimony of a number of witnesses called by evidence leader, Salome Scheepers and which had to be tested by both counsel to Mengo and Mbenenge. This included the testimony of former Judicial Service Commission secretary Kutlwano Moretlwe's version of events, which, in part, dealt with the misplaced initial sexual harassment complaint. The initial complaint was handed to the former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo on December 12, 2022 however, according to Moretlwe, this complaint was misplaced and Zondo had contacted Moretlwe to inform her of the incident. Another witness, forensic and legal linguist and researcher, Dr Zakeera Docrat, confirmed that the context in which emojis were sent to Mengo by JP Mbenenge depicted sexual acts. A colleague of Mengo, Ntomboxolo Jobela testified that Mengo confided in her about the messages sent to her by JP Mbenenge and shared with her the explicit pictures she had allegedly received from him. [email protected]
