Video: Timothy Bernard
Johannesburg - Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has been in the hot seat at the Chief Justice interviews for about five hours now and it is no surprise that his decisions and approach at the state capture inquiry has been brought into focus so far.
During Zondo's lengthy legal career he has served in several courts including the Labour and Supreme Court of Appeal and was part of a task team that developed the draft legislation on labour relations for post-apartheid South Africa in 1994.
This saw the passing of the Labour Relations Act of 1995.
He told the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) that many of his judgments “have stood the test of time” and he was proud of his career.
Zondo also shared his vision for the judiciary if appointed as the country’s next chief justice, saying that among his priorities was to complete the establishment of the judiciary as an independent arm of the state.
He also added that he was aware of the challenges facing the lower courts, many of which were dilapidated, and would immediately address these once appointed.
Zondo added that if appointed, he would not see himself as a “super judge”.
“I will see myself as I do now, as simply a servant to the people of SA,” he said.
However, the JSC commissioners wasted no time in addressing “the many elephants in the room”.
It was the IFP’s Narendh Singh who asked Zondo for his response to the allegations, listed in some of the objections to his appointment, that he was pro-Ramaphosa.
Zondo told the JSC that he didn’t think those objectors had any facts to support any of those claims.
“I am not pro or anti anyone. Through this commission, I've made myself a lot of enemies,” he said.
Wits Professor Engella Schlemmer asked whether the JSC should not be read into the fact that the part of the report that deals with President Cyril Ramaphosa's evidence was not yet completed and that there might be perceptions that the report not being released was to avoid blemishing Zondo’s prospects for the job of chief justice.
EFF leader Julius Malema also asked about the release of the final state capture report that may implicate Ramaphosa and why Zondo did not include findings concerning the president in the reports already released, to avoid the issue that Ramaphosa might feel obligated to give Zondo the job.
Video: Timothy Bernard/African News Agency (ANA)
“Is that not a sword on the neck of the president?” Malema asked.
Zondo said he did not think about it from that angle and added that in deciding on the three-part series release of the report, it was not intentional that Ramaphosa’s findings would not be in first or second part. He said it was just a matter of deciding which portions of the full report were ready for release at certain times.
“There was no conscious decision to say, 'Oh no, that part must come later,’ ” said Zondo.
His interview continues.
Political Bureau