Zondo gets another extension for report

The Commission of Inquiry into State Capture was granted an extension of six weeks yesterday.

This will be the commission’s eighth extension since its establishment in 2018. Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, the chair of the commission, approached the High Court in Pretoria last week, seeking yet another extension of the inquiry so it could finalise its work.

There was no opposition to the extension.

Judge Anthony Millar granted the commission an extension to 15 June. The judge said he was satisfied with the case made by the commission to be granted another extension.

In an affidavit, Zondo said the commission had made progress in compiling its fourth report, but it had not been able to complete all the remaining topics and would consequently not meet tomorrow’s deadline to submit the report to the presidency.

The remaining topics to be covered by the commission reportedly include the SABC, the Passenger Rail Agency of SA, the Guptas’ infamous landing at Waterkloof Air Force Base in 2013, the State Security Agency and the Free State’s Estina dairy farm project.

The previous extension for the inquiry to complete its reports was granted in February this year. The commission was given until 30 April to complete its work.

Zondo has already submitted three volumes of the inquiry’s report to the presidency.

President Cyril Ramaphosa assured the public the recommendations of the commission would be implemented once he receives all its reports.

The president would also present an action plan for the implementation of the reports’ recommendations to parliament later this year.

The commission so far has cost more than R1 billion.