President Cyril Ramaphosa appears on behalf of the ruling party African National Congress at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry in Johannesburg, South Africa, 11 August 2021. The Zondo Commission was set up by former President Jacob Zuma to investigate state capture and corruption in the country. Picture: EPA-EFE/SUMAYZ HISHAM
It is now four years since the ANC Nasrec elective conference – what many considered a watershed moment in the history of the party and of the country, because Jacob Zuma got his marching orders. The major move to uncover the rot – and, in theory, pave the way for prosecutions – was the appointment of Judge Raymond Zondo’s Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. Now, 278 witnesses and almost 160 000 pages of evidence later, his report is due to be sent to Ramaphosa next month.That might sound like the end of one chapter and the opening of the next – court trials – but anti-corruption campaigners are not convinced we are anywhere near seeing the light at the end of the looting tunnel.
And then there is the now common reaction of anyone mentioned in such reports to head off to court to initiate their own rear guard – “Stalingrad Defence” campaigns to avoid accountability for as long as possible.
No justice will done when a person who was also implicated receives the report.
I dont think so because a new commission will be set up to analyse the report and so on and so on.