Deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo is to apply for a further three-month extension for his commission of inquiry into state capture which is presently due to be concluded at the end of March 2021.
The extension is likely to take the cost of the commission to more than R1bn, making it the most costly probe in democratic SA. In July it was disclosed in parliament that it had by then cost R700m.
In a television interview on eNCA on Sunday night, Zondo said the extension was required because the commission, which was established in August 2018 by former president Jacob Zuma, could not hold hearings during the initial three months of the Covid-19 lockdown. He said a large part of these costs were for lawyers and investigators.
The additional three months would be used to write up his report on evidence submitted on the corruption that took place during the years of state capture and to make recommendations. Special attention would be given in the report to the protection of whistle-blowers, who the judge said were crucial in the fight against corruption.
Zuma is still to give evidence before the commission. President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC governing party have given a commitment to appear before the deputy chief justice.
The commission has applied to the Constitutional Court to order Zuma to appear before it for 10 days in January and February. A ruling on the matter is awaited.
Zondo pointed out that his commission has had to deal with corruption across the entire state sector, including state-owned enterprises such as Eskom, Transnet, SAA and Denel each of which could have had their own dedicated commission of inquiry in the manner of the commission of inquiry into the Public Investment Corporation
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