Mbenenge's legal team accuses gender expert of omitting texts sent by Mengo
Sikhakhane cross-examined Vetten before the Judicial Conduct Tribunal sitting in Johannesburg and is tasked with investigating the sexual harassment allegations that Mengo has made against the top judge.
In some interactions between the pair, Mengo sent Mbenenge messages after work hours, including one where she called him "cute" at 10:20 pm.
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Vetten previously testified that Mbenenge engaged with the junior staffer on WhatsApp in the evenings and often asked her for her photos.
But Sikhakhane highlighted the instances in which Mengo acted in a similar manner and accused Vetten of failing to highlight it.
"She says to him, 'cute' and I'm saying this because you made a song and dance about people initiating or saying something after hours. You omitted this. Is there any particular reason? When she does it, when she tells him 'you're cute' in the evening, are you prepared to call it inappropriate or blurring the lines between this little girl and the father figure?"
However, Vetten hit back.
"No, I have mentioned that there is, this is in the context of a conversation that's been going on throughout the day. And I did mention that she does describe him, I think there are two occasions where she makes a comment on his appearance, where she says, cute and then it's followed into, but weren't you younger then or whatever. So there are two, there are two occasions where she does comment on his appearance."
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