Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo is facing pressure from the public and constitutional higher-ups to bring a close to the State Capture Inquiry but the commission’s chairperson says he needs a three-month extension.
Why State Capture Inquiry wants an extension
On Thursday, Zondo indicated that he refuses to “end the work of the commission in an irresponsible manner.” The 61-year-old judge revealed that before his final report is submitted to Cyril Ramaphosa, six more witnesses, including the president, are still due for a hearing on the hot seat.
From what we know, former president Jacob Zuma is one of the missing pieces to the puzzle and Zondo needs three more months to conclude his work, three years after it was launched.
While the commission chairperson’s request is likely to be granted, concerns have been expressed by the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC).
“The commission must finish its hearings of evidence as soon as possible and start to finalise the long-awaited report. The commission cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely,” the constitutional authority noted in a statement.
How much Zondo commission has cost the taxpayer
With more than 300 testimonies heard since 2018, the commission has entered its final lap with about six witnesses left to probe.
The only financial statistics that exist on the cost of the commission date back to December 2020. Back then, the State Capture Inquiry’s expenses stood at an estimated R800 million.
Once the commission concludes its work, Zondo will file a final report to Ramaphosa with a list of recommendations. if the Gauteng High Court grants the commission an extension, this much-anticipated report may only be filed in September 2021.
At the time this article was published, the inquiry was hearing the evidence of former Transnet Chief Financial Officer Anoj Singh.