Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge Secures Court Order to Halt Impeachment Proceedings

• Suspended Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge has secured a crucial court order to temporarily block his impeachment
• Mbenenge's legal team are also pursuing a review of the Judicial Service Commission's gross misconduct finding against him
• The suspended Judge President faced sexual harassment allegations stemming from WhatsApp messages sent to a junior court secretary

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

EASTERN CAPE — Suspended Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge has obtained a court order temporarily blocking Parliament and President Cyril Ramaphosa from proceeding with his impeachment.

The interdict was granted while Mbenenge and his legal representatives pursue a separate court application to review and set aside findings made against him by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

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JSC overturned tribunal's ruling

The matter originates from sexual harassment allegations brought against Mbenenge by court secretary Andiswa Mengo. The charges stemmed from WhatsApp messages exchanged between 2021 and 2022. A Judicial Conduct Tribunal initially found that Mbenenge had committed misconduct, but stopped short of classifying it as gross misconduct, the threshold required to trigger impeachment proceedings under Section 177 of the Constitution.

The JSC subsequently overruled that finding, elevating the classification to gross misconduct. That upgraded finding set the impeachment process in motion, with Parliament and the President being the next steps in the constitutional removal procedure.

Source: Briefly News