Zondo commission to hear some evidence in the evenings, due to limited time frame

• The state capture commission of inquiry is expected to hear evidence in the evenings due to the limited time it has to complete its work.  
• The commission was granted an extension to complete its work by March 2021. 
• Commission chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, said the commission should "seriously consider" compelling witnesses to testify.  

The judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture has started making arrangements to hear evidence in the evenings due to the pressure it is under to finish by March 2021.

Earlier this year, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria granted the commission a final extension to complete its work by that date.

But, in the past few days, some witnesses failed to appear or asked for a postponement of their evidence.

On Wednesday morning, commission chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said: "We are pressed for time and we have started to arrange for what we call evening sessions.

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"That is an arrangement in terms of which during the day there would be a witness who gives evidence during the day, or witnesses who give evidence during the day and when we finish with them at 16:00 or thereabout, we start our evening session".

Zondo was speaking during an application for the postponement of the evidence of the former head of the Department of Human Settlements in the Free State, Nthimose Mokhesi.  

On Tuesday, after the director of supply chain management at the Free State Department of Human Settlements, John Matlakala, failed to appear, Zondo also said the commission should "seriously consider" compelling people to testify.

"I am beginning to wonder whether the commission shouldn't just issue summons against everybody because it looks like the stage at which we are, more and more people come up with some or other reasons or not appearing and whereas in the past, just notification to people seemed to be enough... for them to come and appear.

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"But now we issue notifications and people either don't come or send emails to put one or other reasons to say they won't be able to come. Seems that we must really seriously consider compelling everybody, otherwise we will keep having this problem".

Zondo said each work stream should look at witnesses who are supposed to appear and consider whether they should issue them with summonses, even if they sent them a notice to appear.