State capture report finally done, 4 years and R1 billion later – what happens now?

It’s been a gruelling four years – or rather, two months shy of four years – since the State Capture Commission was launched.

And nearly six years have passed since former Public Protector Adv Thuli Madonsela released her ‘State of Capture report.

The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State – better known as the Zondo Commission – submitted the final Zuma-era graft report this week.

The six-part report details the case against former President Jacob Zuma – after having heard the testimony from hundreds of witnesses.

The commission also investigated thousands of documents pertaining to Zuma’s two terms as president. However, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said this is not yet the end.

A report into Zuma’s state capture isn’t enough to rid South Africa of state capture or even to prevent it from happening again.

“I don’t want to make anybody think that this report is all you need […] but I do believe that it will”.

The only way to prevent it from happening again is if the “recommendations that have been made […] are implemented,” Zondo said. 

But what happens now – 300 witnesses, 3 171 summonses, 8 655 530 pages of documents and approximately R1 billion worth of taxpayer’s money later?

We now wait four months.

Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo confirmed the NA and NCOP Presiding Officers have received correspondence from the President regarding the final part of the report.

Mothapo said President Cyril Ramaphosa will formally present a full report to Parliament within four months “in line with the directive of the High Court”.

This will be accompanied by an “indication of [Ramaphosa’s] intentions on the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations”, Mothapo said.

WATCH: Zuma responds to state capture report

“The President appreciated that Parliament will need to engage in its own processes on the recommendations that affect it directly, especially from Volumes 1 and 2 of Part 5 as well as Volume 2 of Part 6”.

Parliament will, however, while waiting for Ramaphosa’s recommendations, now “seek legal opinion on the appropriate processing of these parts of the report received.”

In addition, several of the MPs mentioned in the state capture report will be subject to the parliamentary Ethics Committee.