State capture commission granted yet another extension

The Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture on Wednesday morning was granted an extension of six weeks.

This will be the commission’s eighth extension since its establishment in 2018.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, the chairperson of the commission, approached the Pretoria High Court last week seeking yet another extension of the inquiry so that it could finalise its work.

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There was no opposition to the extension.

Judge Anthony Millar granted the commission an extension to 15 June 2022. The judge said he was satisfied with the case made by the commission to be granted another extension.

Remaining topics

In an affidavit, Zondo said the commission had made progress in compiling its fourth report, but they had not been able to complete all the remaining topics and would consequently not meet the 30 April 2022 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 (Prasa), the Gupta’s infamous landing at Waterkloof Air Force Base in 2013, and the State Security Agency (SSA) 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.

Justice 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 will also present an action plan for the implementation of the reports’ recommendations to Parliament later this year.

The commission so far has spent more than R1 billion.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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