State Capture Commission: DCJ Raymond Zondo wants ANOTHER extension

It seems the State Capture Commission might not conclude its work just yet – it has approached the High Court in Pretoria, seeking an extension to 31 December 2021.

The urgent application will be heard on 28 September 2021, just two days before his previous extension was set to expire. The bid by the commission’s chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice (DCJ) Raymond Zondo, comes as he was expected to submit a report on the three-year inquiry to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“I need to point out that the amount of work involved under the different topics or workstreams is not the same. The work involves the preparation of summaries and analysis of evidence led over a period of three years, in which more than 330 witnesses testified,” Zondo said in his affidavit.

State Capture: Will Zondo be granted another extension?

In June, the Zondo Commission had filed for an extension until September, ahead of Ramaphosa’s testimony. The High Court in Pretoria had already been granted a three-month extension in February.

When Ramaphosa took the stand in August, he reflected on the State Capture Commission’s work so far and the bearing it has had on the country.

“Over the course of three years, we have heard testimony detailing alleged acts of corruption on a massive scale. We have heard about actions that resulted in the theft of billions of rands of public money. We have heard how many public institutions and state-owned companies were deliberately weakened,” Ramaphosa said.

“State capture did not end of its own accord. It was brought to an end by the concerted actions of South Africans from all walks of life, working in various areas to restore the values of our constitutional democracy. And it is up to all of us to ensure that these practices are never allowed to happen again,”

President Cyril Ramaphosa

REMEMBER: The State Capture Commission was established as part of the remedial actions set by former public protector Thuli Madonsela in her “State of Capture Report.” The report zeroed in on legions of corruption allegations involving former president Jacob Zuma, the controversial Gupta family and several government officials.