South Africa: Chief Justice’s Frustration With Govt’s Non-Implementation Is Lasting and Real

It is apparent that Chief Justice Raymond Zondo is frustrated at how the government is dealing with the findings of his commission of inquiry into State Capture. His public statements and the reactions to them from NGOs and politicians have again thrust him into the public eye. It is likely that Zondo felt he had a moral obligation to speak out for the many people who share his frustration at the conspicuous lack of action.

Over the past few months, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has become more publicly anxious about the findings that he made as chair of the State Capture commission.

Back in February, it emerged that the State Attorney’s office had not provided proper funding to defend the findings of the commission. If this funding was not granted by the government, those who challenged the findings (such as ANC Chair Gwede Mantashe and other senior ruling party figures) would win their cases unopposed.

In other words, because the Ramaphosa administration did not pay for lawyers to defend them, some of Zondo’s findings would easily be overturned, wasting years of hard work.

Then, Zondo publicly confirmed that that same office had not even tried to recover R36-million from former president Jacob Zuma.

A court had ordered Zuma to repay the money after finding that he should not have used government money to defend himself in court cases involving him in a personal capacity while he was president.

As Zondo himself has said, the government seems to be deliberately ignoring some of his most important recommendations, including those that are easiest to implement.

For example, he has pointed out that of the 10…