Zondo Commission to wrap up oral evidence with Ramaphosa

25th May 2021 By: Sashnee Moodley - Senior Deputy Editor Polity and Multimedia

Zondo Commission to wrap up oral evidence with Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa
Photo by: Reuters

The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture hopes to conclude with all oral evidence by next week, with President Cyril Ramaphosa set to be the last witness to present oral evidence.

Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said on Tuesday that where the commission needed to consider matters for public proceedings it would do so.

Applications for leave to cross-examine past witnesses would be given the allotted time, he said.

“The commission wishes to wrap up its oral evidence because by the end, it will have covered all the important evidence relating to the matters that were included in the public protector’s report that gave rise to this commission,” Zondo said.

Ramaphosa will appear before the commission on May 31 and June 1 to present evidence in his capacity as President of the country and as Deputy President during former President Jacob Zuma’s tenure.

However, Zondo said Ramaphosa may be questioned on outstanding matters from when he appeared at the commission in April, in his capacity as President of the African National Congress.

Zondo will also ask the North Gauteng High Court for time for the commission to write up its report from the evidence presented since the commission began its work in August 2018.

“It will be necessary to apply to the high court for a limited extension, but that will now be for the preparation of the report because during the two months, April and May, although a lot of work in regard to the analysis of evidence has been going on behind the scenes, that will not enable us to have the report by the end of June,” Zondo said.