The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has recommended that President Cyril Ramaphosa suspend Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge with immediate effect while Parliament considers his possible removal from office.
The decision, announced by the Office of the Chief Justice on Monday, follows a sexual harassment complaint lodged against Mbenenge by former judiciary secretary Andiswa Mengo.
The JSC, sitting without parliamentary members on July 7 2026, considered written submissions on whether to advise the president to suspend Mbenenge in terms of Section 177(3) of the Constitution.
“At this meeting, the JSC resolved to advise the President to suspend Judge President Mbenenge from his duties pending the decision of the National Assembly as contemplated in Section 177 of the Constitution,” the JSC said in a statement issued on Monday.
The section allows a judge to be suspended while Parliament considers whether the judge should be removed from office.
The recommendation marks the latest development in a matter that has been under scrutiny since 2024, when Sunday World first reported allegations by Mengo that Mbenenge had subjected her to repeated sexual harassment while she was employed at the Mthatha High Court. Mengo alleged that Mbenenge sent her unsolicited WhatsApp messages, voice notes and images of a sexual nature over an extended period.
Mbenenge consistently denies harassing Mengo
A Judicial Conduct Tribunal, established to investigate the complaint, heard weeks of testimony from both Mengo and Mbenenge. The proceedings, which were broadcast live, focused on whether the judge president’s conduct amounted to gross misconduct, the constitutional threshold for the removal of a judge from office.
Mbenenge has consistently denied sexually harassing Mengo, maintaining that their exchanges were consensual and mutually flirtatious. He told the tribunal that some of the communications had been taken out of context and rejected claims that he had abused his position.
The tribunal ultimately found that Mbenenge had sexually harassed Mengo and that his conduct constituted gross misconduct. The JSC subsequently considered the tribunal’s findings and recommendations before deciding to advise Ramaphosa to suspend him pending Parliament’s consideration of the matter.
Monday’s resolution means the commission believes there are sufficient grounds for the National Assembly to determine whether Mbenenge should be removed from office while also recommending that he be suspended from performing his judicial duties in the interim.
ALSO READ: IT expert unpacks meaning of emojis Selby Mbenenge, Andiswa Mengo texted
- The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has recommended that President Cyril Ramaphosa suspend Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge while Parliament considers his possible removal.
- The recommendation follows a sexual harassment complaint by former judiciary secretary Andiswa Mengo, alleging repeated harassment by Mbenenge via WhatsApp messages and images.
- A Judicial Conduct Tribunal found Mbenenge guilty of sexual harassment and gross misconduct after hearing testimonies from both parties.
- Mbenenge denies the allegations, claiming the communications were consensual and taken out of context.
- The JSC's recommendation to suspend Mbenenge is based on sufficient grounds for Parliament to decide on his removal from office.
"At this meeting, the JSC resolved to advise the President to suspend Judge President
from his duties pending the decision of the National Mbenenge as contemplated in Section 177 of the Constitution," the JSC said in a statement issued on Assembly . Monday
A Judicial
ALSO READ: IT expert unpacks meaning of emojis Selby
