Counsel representing Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge continued grilling High Court Secretary Andiswa Mengo on her sexual harassment complaint against the top judge. Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane probed Mengo about her failure to disclose some of her responses to Mbenenge during their exchanges on WhatsApp. 

OMITTING TEXTS

After asking the complainant why she omitted texts of her responding to Mbenenge, Sikhakhane said: "In your response to the question, how long does it take for you to melt? You did not include that your answer is 'depends' in your statement. You did not reflect this in how you narrate in your statement." He added, "You also did not include the beginning of this discussion on this topic of warmth. You also omitted a response saying, 'No, I'm cooking on the side.'

Mengo confirmed and agreed with Sikhakhane that she indeed omitted some of her responses to the judge president from the statements she gave.

NOT THAT INNOCENT

Mengo testified that on 14 November 2022, Mbenenge called her to his office and allegedly asked her: "Do you want to suck it?". Reading a paragraph from Mengo's statement, Adv. Sikhakhane said. "I noticed that his secretary was not in her office, got in and he showed me his trousers and said, 'Do you see the effect you have on me? The question that followed was, "Don't you want to suck it?" He said Mengo initially said that this incident happened on the 15th of November 2022. "But then again, in your evidence in chief, you said this particular event happened on the 14th of November. Please clarify the dates." Mengo confirmed that she mentioned two dates whilst referring to the same incident and said that the incident happened on the 14th. The judicial conduct tribunal hearing continues.