Makhanda High Court judges’ secretary Andiswa Mengo removed the portrait of Eastern Cape judge president Selby Mbenenge from the corridors of the Makhanda High Court in the Eastern Cape.
This incident happened in 2023, according to Denim Kroqwana, the director of court operations of the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court.
Kroqwana revealed this while testifying on Friday at the judicial conduct tribunal hearing investigating the sexual harassment complaint lodged by Mengo against Mbenenge.
Kroqwana, who is based in East London, has been the court operations director since August 2019.
The hearing is taking place at The Capital Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Complainant removed judge’s portrait from the walls
During his testimony, Kroqwana was asked by Mbenenge’s lawyer, Adv Doda Madonsela SC, who removed Mbenenge’s portrait that hung in the corridors of the Makhanda High Court courtrooms in 2023.
Kroqwana responded and said it was Mengo who did.
“It was later discovered that it was Ms Mengo who removed the portrait. When the incident happened, the matter was handled by the court manager and security manager at the time. Since it (portrait) was a missing asset, I said the matter should be reported to the police,” said Kroqwana.
He said after the incident, the court manager took measures to ensure the portrait was not removed again.
“She [court manager] kept it somewhere for safekeeping. She procured lockable frames and then placed the portrait back on the wall.
Portrait was ‘traumatising her’
“When Ms Mengo came back from leave [after her testimony in January 2025], she complained about the portrait. She said it is traumatising her because it is right next to her office.
“I told the court manager that we need to be sensitive. And we cannot remove the portrait because it has nothing to do with this complaint [of sexual harassment].
“The court manager spoke to the acting judge president, and they decided to remove it. This was not in line with my advice to the court manager,” said Kroqwana.
During Mengo’s testimony in January, she was never asked about the portrait nor its removal.
Kroqwana concluded his testimony on Friday.
Another witness testified
Earlier on Friday, judges’ secretary from the Gqeberha High Court, Ntomboxolo Brenda Jobela, continued with her testimony, which she began on Thursday.
Jobela told the tribunal that Mengo sent her messages telling her that “an old man, a father, is abusing her and he is a judge”.
The hearing will resume on Monday with a new witness expected to take the stand.
The hearing is chaired by retired Gauteng judge president Bernard Ngoepe. Ngoepe is assisted by retired Gauteng Division High Court judge Cynthia Pretorius and Adv Gift Mashaba SC.
The hearing’s evidence leader is Adv Salome Scheepers.
Mengo’s counsel is Advocate Nasreen Rajab-Budlender SC.
Mbenenge has been on special leave since 2023.
