A high court registrar's clerk broke down in tears before a Judicial Conduct Tribunal, recounting the emotional distress he suffered after senior judge Belinda Hartle allegedly hurled profanities and a racial slur at him. Thozamile Semekezi told the tribunal that the outburst followed a dispute over late case files, leading to severe depression and hospitalisation.
Judge Hartle's defence counsel denied the racial allegation, describing the complaint as 'trumped-up' and claiming the judge merely used a single expletive out of frustration with administrative delays, for which she promptly apologised.
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