Johannesburg - As the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture resumes its first sitting this year, it is expected to deal with applications for hearings - but the country will only know on Wednesday who will be applying to testify over the next couple of weeks.
“The hearings of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State will resume on January 16 at 10 am. We will be following the same process as we did last year and will ascertain who will testify when the public hearings resume,” commission spokesperson Mbuyiselo Stemela said yesterday.
He said the commission's personnel had worked throughout December to prepare for the public hearings.
At the beginning of the hearings last year, several government ministers and officials and prominent politicians, including former deputy minister of finance Mcebisi Jonas, former minister of finance Nhlanhla Nene, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, former public service and administration minister Ngoako Ramathlodi and his adviser, Mahlodi Samuel Muofhe, former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor, former government spokesperson Themba Maseko, and former ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, among others, testified at the commission.
The hearings placed former president Jacob Zuma and the ruling ANC at the heart of state capture, in part because of Zuma's alleged actions and also because of the party's inability to stand up to him and his associates.
Expected, but not confirmed, to give witness this year are Zuma's son Duduzane and two Gupta brothers.
Last year during the hearings they indicated their willingness to appear before the commission and to cross-examine witnesses.
Former police minister Fikile Mbalula also offered his full co-operation with the commission.
Testimonies this year are also expected to point out key issues into how deep corruption gripped state of organs over the past few years.
Last year former government spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi gave explosive testimony, claiming that Government Communication Information System (GCIS) boss Phuma Williams refused to hand him documents he needed for the commission.
Manyi alleged corrupt transactions worth millions of rand, including R64million paid by GCIS for work that was never done.
He said the contract was for the supply of artwork but the service provider never delivered despite the National Treasury investigating the matter.
Commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo asked Manyi whether the non-receipt of goods was due to incompetence or was done with corrupt intent.