Eastern Cape Judge President defends claims of sexual harassment

EASTERN Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge said the claims by a judge's secretary that he tried to solicit oral sex from her in chambers never happened, and that the allegations are malicious and hurtful.

- ZELDA VENTER

Judge Mbenenge took the stand yesterday in the Judicial Conduct Tribunal’s sexual harassment probe against him.

Judge's secretary Andiswa Mengo claimed that Judge Mbenenge had made unwanted sexual advances towards her.

These include that on either November 14 or 15, 2022, he called her into his office and tried to solicit oral sex from her by attempting to open the zip of his pants.

In defending these allegations, Mbenenge said he hoped that he did not need to answer to these allegations, as they were all lies and never happened.

He said that if proper investigations were done by the evidence leader of the tribunal prior to the hearing, he would not have needed to answer to these allegations.

Mengo earlier testified that the sexual advances made by the judge president towards her in his chambers happened in the afternoon and she said his secretary was not there at the time.