{
  "id": 19692452,
  "title": "RACISM CHARGE : Court clerk was in tears after alleged insult by Judge Hartle, witness tells tribunal",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/racism-charge-court-clerk-was-in-tears-after-alleged-insult-by-judge",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-12T19:22:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-11-12-court-clerk-was-in-tears-after-alleged-insult-by-judge-hartle-witness-tells-tribunal/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A second witness has testified at the tribunal investigating allegations of racism against Eastern Cape High Court Judge Belinda Hartle, describing how a court clerk reported being insulted by the judge. Denim Kroqwana, the director of court operations in the Eastern Cape Office of the Chief Justice, testified that Thozamile Semekazi approached him in tears after an alleged confrontation with Hartle. Kroqwana accompanied Semekazi to Hartle's office, but she had already left. The matter was not immediately resolved due to Semekazi being booked off sick, and Kroqwana only mentioned the incident to Hartle when they met briefly afterward, as Semekazi was absent. The tribunal also heard that Semekazi had admitted making a telephone call to Hartle's husband in March 2024, despite previously denying initiating contact with him.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}