Gender expert, Doctor Lisa Vetten, has testified at the Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) tribunal hearing of Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge as the Commission investigates the allegations that the judge president had harassed a court secretary by relentlessly requesting nude photos from the court secretary, Andiswa Mengo.
In her testimony, Dr. Vetten stated that the texts between Mbenenge and Mengo were grossly inappropriate, as the Judge President would persistently request photos, which, due to his position, would create unequal pressure on the court secretary, noting that the texts would indicate that the court secretary was reluctant to engage with the Judge President during their WhatsApp engagements.
The judge president’s defence team has maintained that the relationship between their client and the secretary was consensual.
Speaking on VOC’s airwaves, Alison Tilley, attorney and coordinator at Judges Matter, viewed the entire debacle as an embarrassment for the law fraternity, noting that the judge president faces an uphill battle in proving his innocence.
“I think we have established at this point that there was a common cause, that there was conduct, and I think it’s going to be difficult to say it is proper conduct,” stated Tilley.
Tilley further states that while the report would be damning, the question of whether the Judge President would be impeached is still yet to be determined, theorizing that the report may fall short of recommending it.
“I believe the finding may not constitute gross misconduct and should not lead to impeachment,” added Tilley.
