It was an emotional morning at the Judicial Conduct Tribunal in Rosebank, Johannesburg, as the alleged sexual harassment victim Andiswa Mengo continued with her testimony.
Mengo, who works as the judge’s secretary at the Makhanda High Court in the Eastern Cape, is currently giving testimony in the case against Judge President Selby Mbenenge.
Judge could face impeachment if found guilty
Mbenenge is facing a misconduct probe by the Judicial Conduct Tribunal. The probe could result in his impeachment, if he is found to be in the wrong.
On Thursday, the tribunal continued to hear details of the WhatsApp conversation between Mengo and Mbenenge.
She revealed that Mbenenge did not only send graphic pictures and videos to her. He also asked if they were going to be intimate, she said.
“You reckon we can be intimate this weekend?” that is the message I received from the judge president, she informed the tribunal.
Accuser responded to demands with Bible verse
According to Mengo, she replied to Mbenenge’s question about intimacy with a Bible verse.
“I was annoyed. But I responded to him with a Bible scripture in Psalm 1 verse one that has a highlighted ‘no’,” she explained.
Asked by the evidence leader, advocate Salome Scheepers, why she responded with a Bible verse instead of being direct about her “no”, Mengo said Mbenenge is a respected church leader and understands the Bible.
“He is a leader in the church, he understands the Bible very well. I saw this verse as a suitable answer and an assurance for him to know that what he was asking for was not going to happen,” she responded.
Scheepers highlighted that the conversation between the two did not end after the Bible verse.
Sent accuser picture of a banana
“Yes, it did not end. He further sent me a picture of an unpeeled banana that and I responded with four laughing emojis. Because at that point, I did not know what to say to him as he was my boss,” she said.
Scheepers asked if Mbenenge ever stopped to send texts to Mengo after that.
“No, he did not stop,” she said, as she got emotional and requested a moment to compose herself.
Demanded she perform an intimate act on him
The testimony forms part of the salacious details that have emerged in the Mbenenge tribunal. The hearing has been sitting since Monday. This week Mengo alleged that the esteemed judge president demanded oral sex. It was also heard on Wednesday that Mengo initiated a conversation with Mbenenge at 6am, wishing him a Happy Father’s Day.
The tribunal continues.
