The top legal minds leading evidence in the Zondo commission of inquiry cost the commission up to R38,000 per day for the highest paid senior counsel.
The judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture, better known as the Zondo commission, has cost the taxpayer more than R700m since it was established in August 2018 with legal costs and investigations identified as its main cost drivers.
The commission makes use of 32 legal counsel, according to a written parliamentary reply seen by the Sunday Times Daily last week.
Acting director-general of justice Jacob Skosana told parliament’s portfolio committee on justice that the commission’s major cost drivers are its legal (counsel) fees and investigators' costs.
Skosana submitted a breakdown of the costs to the committee and it shows that 13 of the 32 legal officers appointed by the commission are senior counsel whose rates range from R23,000 to R38,000 per day.
There are 17 counsel who charge between R9,500 and R28,000 per day and two junior counsel (R25,000 per day).
The commission's investigative team consists of 96 consultants, reveals Skosana's response.
He said they were appointed against auditor-general rates and not those provided by the department of public service & administration due to the knowledge and skill required by the investigative team.
The number of hours per day and days per month the investigators can claim for are not capped.
The number of hours per day and days per month the investigators can claim are not capped.
The commission reviewed the cost associated with the investigators and negotiated with investigators to forego the 2019/2020 AG rates increase and retain the 2018/2019 rate, said Skosana. “This translated to a cost containment of R33.4m,” he said.
Among the cost saving measures undertaken by the department of justice and the commission, the commission vacated the private sector premises that it rented and moved to a government building in the Joburg city centre, where it does not pay any rent.
The costs for the hiring of a venue for hearings and related costs were reduced by R1,219,796.52 a month or R12,197,965.20 for 10 months, he said.
From 2018, the commission used the premises of Tiso Blackstar Group (now Arena Holdings) for its public hearing venue and offices and spent an amount of R16.3m until February 2020.
“The commission then embarked on a cost-cutting exercise which included terminating the lease with Tiso Blackstar Group at Hill on Empire.
“To this effect the City of Johannesburg was approached for the use of one of their council chambers where the hearings are now being held,” said Skosana.
The commission was required to install some infrastructure to enable hearings to be held. This infrastructure will be left with the city for use by the government instead of paying rent.
Skosana said this included the installation of two projectors, a sound mixer and speakers to the value of R430,000, a huge saving compared to the R16.5m that was paid for the previous venue.
Monthly costs that were paid to Tiso Blackstar Group that are no longer paid included R210,000 [audiovisual], R24,050 for transcription services, R84,000 for catering, R350,000 for rental of equipment and catering, R72,846 for rental for the offices at Hill on Empire and R796,950 for rental for the hearing venue.
Skosana said the commission had also procured its own court recording equipment to reduce the costs of hiring equipment on monthly basis from service providers.
Meanwhile, the Sunday Times Daily has seen a list of 101 more witnesses still scheduled to appear before the commission.
Among those are former president Jacob Zuma, who is expected to appear later this month, former cabinet ministers Lynne Brown, Mosebenzi Zwane, Siyabonga Cwele and Malusi Gigaba.
The ANC's secretary-general Ace Magashule's name appears among those who still have to account to the commission.
Magashule would have to answer questions from the time he was Free State premier, about visits to the Guptas' residence, the appointment of Ashok Narayan as his adviser, letters of invitation to Indian politicians, his son's (Gift's) involvement with the letters, alleged involvement in asbestos contracts and his alleged involvement with the Estina dairy farm matter.
The commission's timespan ends in March 2021.
It did not respond to questions of whether it was still on track to complete its work within the prescribed period.
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