Zondo appoints state capture investigation team
CHAIRPERSON of the state capture commission of inquiry Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has announced key appointments to the commission, which include former auditor-general Terence Nombembe.
Nombembe, now chief executive at the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants, will head a team of investigators.
Other key appointments include Leah Gcabashe, Vincent Maleka, Thandi Norman and Paul Pretorius, as part of the legal team.
It will be headed by Pretorius. He will be evidence leader and alternate with the other advocates.
Khotso de Wee, director at University of Fort Hare Solutions was appointed commission secretary.
Zondo said it was not yet confirmed when the commission would start its work, but it could be in the next few months.
The investigators are expected to start work in two weeks.
The commission would do its work in a fair and professional manner, Zondo said.
“The desired outcome of this commission, after we hand over the report to (President Cyril Ramaphosa), and it is made public, is for the public to understand the depth of the state capture and who were involved,” he said yesterday.
“The outcome is to make sure South Africa does not find itself in that situation again. Those found to have committed criminal conduct would need to be dealt with in terms of our criminal justice system.” He said the identity of the multi-disciplinary team of investigators would not be disclosed to ensure their security and that of the work of the commission.
Former president Jacob Zuma earlier this year announced Justice Zondo as head of the state capture inquiry, as per former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s recommendations that Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng recommend a judge to head the inquiry, instead of Zuma appointing one, as he was implicated.
Madonsela prescribed that her report, “State of Capture”, should be the basis on which the inquiry is based.
It has taken nearly two years for Zuma, who is challenging the report in the courts, to establish the long-awaited commission. However, the ANC said the matter should be expedited even though Zuma challenged the high court judgment. – African News Agency (ANA)