Johannesburg - President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected back at the Zondo commission next week Monday and Tuesday, May 31 and June 1, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has confirmed.
He made the announcement on Tuesday during a sitting of the commission. Ramaphosa appeared in April to answer questions as the president of the ANC. His return next week will be linked to his role as head of state.
Justice Zondo said Ramaphosa would be expected to wrap up other questions he had not dealt with during his last appearance.
The commission is running out of time to complete its work. Justice Zondo said Ramaphosa's appearance would be the last oral evidence to be heard.
The high court gave the commission an extension to complete its work. The extra time expires at the end of June. The time frame also includes hearing the remaining oral evidence and drawing up a report.
Justice Zondo said it had been envisioned that oral evidence would have been concluded at the end of March. The report would have been compiled in April, May and June.
The commission had decided to focus exclusively on issues contained in the public protector's state of capture report, in order to save time.
Other issues that fell within the commission's mandate but were not dealt with in the public protector’s report were abandoned to save time, Justice Zondo said.
He said the commission would ask the high court for another extension.
"If we had ended hearing oral evidence in March, there is very important evidence, which was heard in April and May, we would have not heard. This included evidence related to the State Security Agency and high-ranking state-owned enterprises officials.
"It was important that those high-ranking officials be given time to complete their evidence. By the end of May we will have finalised the oral evidence relating to senior executives and board members of various SOEs that have been alleged to have been looted as part of state capture."
Justice Zondo did not indicate when the application for an extension would be made.
zintle.mahlati@inl.co.za
Political Bureau