Three years later, with over 250 testimonies and nearly R800 million spent, the Commission of Inquiry into allegations of state capture will draw to a close this year. It was meant to end on March 31, but Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has asked for three more months to put together his report, City Press reported, (we’re still unsure if it will be granted). The commission was a turning point for our country; witnesses, from Bosasa’s former COO Angelo Agrizzi to former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas, dropped several bombshells. There were several denialists and even someone walking out (we won’t mention names ).

But before it ends, some top folks are yet to appear – President Cyril Ramaphosa, for one, will appear sometime before March to talk about his tenure as Deputy President when state capture and corruption in the public sector was rife. Zondo said his work would be incomplete if Ramaphosa doesn’t testify. Then there’s one Jacob Zuma (OK, we will mention his name) who really tested Zondo (and the country’s) patience with his rambling testimony and attempts to avoid appearing. Will he do so? That depends on the ConCourt backing up the summons Zondo has issued, and even then we don’t know if Zuma will turn up – and if he’ll say anything useful. Before he wraps, Zondo must also, er, capture oral evidence from SAA, the SABC, Eskom, Denel and Transnet. It’s going to be a busy last few months from arguably SA’s most important public hearings since the TRC.

This brief was originally published in The Wrap here.

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