The Eastern Cape’s top judge Selby Mbenenge who is facing s.e.xual harassment allegations, has accused the evidence leader in the matter of failing to fully investigate the claim.
Mbenenge claimed that Advocate Salome Scheepers had taken a stance in the misconduct probe against him.
Mbenenge testified before the Judicial Conduct Tribunal in Sandton after high court secretary, Andiswa Mengo, accused him of making unwanted s.e.xual advances towards her between 2021 and 2022.
Top judge Selby Mbenenge
“Evidence leader, you are investigating in an investigative process. You are not the complainant’s lawyer, you are not a prosecutor, such as in a criminal case. It is incumbent on you to investigate in the true sense of the word.”
This is how Eastern Cape Judge President Mbenenge lamented Scheepers before the Judicial Conduct Tribunal investigating sexual harassment allegations levelled against him.
Mbenenge is relaying the events of 15 November 2022, one of the dates in which he is alleged to have attempted to expose himself to Mengo in his chambers.
However, the judge president said that he left the building around midday that day and even presented the tracker report for his vehicle before the tribunal.
“I got to chambers around 9 o’clock. I left around 12, noon. I never saw Ms Mengo on that day. The trip report shows that after attending to a few chores around Mthatha, I left and got back to East London in the afternoon. It was a Tuesday. I went to the car wash and back home.”
Mbenenge lashed out at Scheepers for disregarding the document when it was presented to her by his legal team.
The senior judge also bemoaned the evidence leader for failing to verify Mengo’s claim that she left after his former secretary, Zintle Nkqayi, which was negated by the court register.
The junior staffer previously testified that Nkqayi was not around when the alleged flashing incident almost happened and that Nkqayi had left the court building before her.
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