State capture commission team to ask Judge Zondo to summons Jacob Zuma

Judge Raymond Zondo will on Friday hear an application for an order authorising the issuing of a summons to former president Jacob Zuma to appear before the commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture.

This comes after Zondo last month said he “will not negotiate” dates for Zuma's next appearance before the commission. Zondo also fixed new dates for Zuma's appearance for November 16 to 20. In response, Zuma accused the judge of bias towards him and said he intended to ask for the judge's recusal.

The commission said in a statement on Thursday night that it will today hear an application brought by the commission's legal team “for an order authorising the Secretary of the Commission to issue a summons for Zuma”.

Zuma first appeared before the commission in July last year. He subsequently missed previous dates to return.

In January Zondo said the state capture commission would make findings and recommendations regardless of whether Zuma appears before it to give his side of the story. However, Zondo said, it would be “preferable” to hear Zuma's testimony as he was head of state when state capture allegedly happened.

On Friday, the commission will also hear evidence from former acting director-general in the department of public enterprises, Matsietsi Mokholo, and former Eskom board chairperson, Zola Tsotsi.

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