Durban – Former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo says he is disappointed that key recommendations from the State Capture Commission have not been fully implemented, more than four years after the inquiry concluded.
Zondo, who chaired the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State, made the remarks at a public administration conference in Durban on Wednesday.
According to The Citizen, he said the commission had spent years hearing evidence of corruption and wrongdoing, but some of the measures needed to prevent another period of state capture had still not been put in place.
“It is disappointing to see that when you look at the fact that we had the commission that I was honoured to lead … the commission made recommendations,” Zondo said.
He said the focus had been placed heavily on criminal investigations and prosecutions, while less attention had been given to creating institutions and systems that could prevent state capture from happening again.
“But what is important mainly is establishing institutions or mechanisms that will make sure that we do not have another state capture. That simply has not been done,” he said.
WATCH | Former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo says South Africa must move beyond investigating corruption and ensure those implicated face consequences. He says institutional weaknesses persist despite recommendations from commissions of inquiry and constitutional safeguards. pic.twitter.com/J30BfxfjfK
— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 30, 2026
According to SABC News, Zondo said South Africa needed to move beyond investigating corruption and ensure that there were consequences for people found to have acted unethically. He also argued that disciplinary action should not have to wait for criminal prosecutions to be completed.
Zondo also criticised the failure to act against some officials identified during the commission’s work.
He said people accused of corruption had been given opportunities to respond to the evidence against them and that the commission had made findings, but some remained in senior positions because law-enforcement agencies had not charged them.
“I am deliberately saying that it’s a nonsensical excuse,” Zondo said.
He compared the situation to the private sector, arguing that businesses would not necessarily wait for a criminal investigation before taking disciplinary action against an employee accused of wrongdoing.
“Why should it be different in government?” he asked.
Zondo said South Africa would struggle to build a capable state if officials continued to defend wrongdoing or attempted to ignore it.
“We, the people, need to tell them that is unacceptable,” he said.
He also raised concerns about officials who had been found guilty of corruption or other misconduct being appointed to other senior government positions.
The Zondo Commission began its work in January 2018 and concluded its hearings in June 2022. Its final report made a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening state institutions and preventing corruption and state capture.
However, the government’s position is that significant progress has been made.
According to thePresidency’s latest implementation report, published in July 2025, 48% of the 60 actions identified in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s October 2022 response plan were complete or substantially complete, while 23% were on track and 29% were delayed but receiving attention.
The Presidency also said an integrated task force led by the National Prosecuting Authority was implementing 218 criminal investigation recommendations arising from the State Capture Commission.
The government said the reforms were intended not only to hold those responsible for state capture accountable, but also to address the weaknesses that allowed it to happen.
Zondo’s latest comments therefore highlight a continuing debate over whether the government’s response has gone far enough to address the structural weaknesses identified by the commission.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
