Judge President Mbenenge denies ‘hurtful’ sexual harassment claims

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 inquiry 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.

Mbenenge said that he had 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.

In responding to questions by his counsel Advocate Griffiths Madonsela at the start of the proceedings as to how he valued women, Mbenenge denied that he saw them as objects of lust. “These labels are hurtful? he told the tribunal.