The man who laid a complaint against an Eastern Cape high court judge, alleging that she called him the k-word, has testified that he was not opposed to taking a polygraph.
Testifying in the Judicial Conduct Tribunal convened to hear the complaint on Tuesday, KuGompo City high court registrar's clerk Thozamile Semekazi said judge Belinda Hartle's attorney's wrote to him on June 19 2026 that he and Hartle should take a polygraph test to determine who was not telling the truth.
This relates to Hartle alleged racial slur on May 15 2025 at the office of her secretary, Shakira Frost, after Semekazi allegedly failed to deliver on his work.
Semekazi, cross-examined by advocate Jan Heunis SC, who put it to Semekazi that he declined to do a polygraph test to determine who was lying, said he was shocked that her lawyers wrote to him.
“If they [Hartle's attorneys] wanted me to do this, they should’ve sent it to the secretary of the JSC because the matter is under JSC," Semekazi said.
"When I got it [the letter], I forwarded it to the JSC even without the permission of my attorney because it was now 2026 and it’s in the hands of the JSC."
He said he wrote to the JSC, placing on record that he rejected the proposal of Hartle's attorneys and that he remains "fully committed to co-operate with the JSC".
"I was not refusing and I’m not refusing even now. I’m dependent on the instruction of the JSC," Semekazi said.
He said he had opened a case against Hartle at the Cambridge Police Station in July 2025. The tribunal heard that the NPA declined to prosecute.
Probed about the alleged incident on May 12 2025, Semekazi said he did not know if Hartle knew he was the one responsible for the case-flow management files.
Heunis put it to Semekazi that assuming Hartle did not know he was responsible for the files, there was no reason for anger to be directed at him.
Semekazi said: “Then why would she send a whole lot of messages to me?”
Heunis further said that in the message Hartle sent to Semekazi on May 15 2025, she was apologising for using a single swear word in front of Semekazi and her secretary, and was consistent with Frost’s statement that only one swear word was used in reference to the registrar’s office and not to Semekazi.
“That’s a lie,” Semekazi said.
“I wouldn’t have been so much disturbed by the f*** word from the judge.”
Semekazi said he reported the matter for the first time in July 2025, first to the police and then to his employer.
As the proceedings continued, Heunis changed his line of questioning, and focused on Semekazi's state of mind and personal life.
He put it to him that during 2023 to 2025, Semekazi made 15 temporary incapacity leave applications, 10 of which were declined, four were incomplete and only one was successful.
In one of the applications, Semekazi had applied for temporary incapacity leave due to an issue with his leg.
The issue with his leg was not explained during the hearing.