State capture enquiry's Raymond Zondo known to be fair, assertive

Of all the judges‚ former and current‚ it was deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo who was recommended by chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng to head arguably one of the most important judicial commission of inquiries for post-apartheid SA – probing state capture.

Lawyers who often argue before the Constitutional Court would tell you to never be fooled by the kind demeanour of the judge who hails from Ixopo‚ KwaZulu-Natal.

Zondo is firm in his jurisprudence and assertive in his rulings.

He is clear and is not afraid to point out misdirected arguments – which is why he was unshaken in his interview for the deputy chief justice position at the Judicial Service Commission in 2017 when asked about claims that the judiciary is captured.

“We as members of the judiciary must know that when we are appointed to the bench it is not about popularity,” he said.

“I am not supposed to give a judgment that will make me popular. I must make a decision which‚ in my view‚ accords with the constitution and the law.”

There is no doubt that Zondo would take this conviction into the commission of inquiry investigating state capture when it begins its first round of public hearings on Monday.

Zondo‚ a judge for 21 years‚ is chairing the inquiry that is expected to last for the next two years and is tasked to get to the bottom of how the state was captured by the Guptas and their business associates.

From the onset‚ he said the commission would be proper‚ thorough and professional.

“We will seek to strike a balance to ensure that there is no delay – at the same time, we want to ensure that the job is done properly‚” he said

Zondo received legal training at the University of Zululand in the 1980s and went to the University of KwaZulu-Natal to complete his LLB.

The 58-year-old was first appointed as a judge to the labour court in 1997 by former president Nelson Mandela.

He later went on to be judge-president of the labour court and also served as a judge in the North Gauteng High Court until 2012.

For the last six years‚ Zondo has been at the apex court – adjudicating historic cases.

Before his appointment to the Constitutional Court‚ some legal bodies claimed he was not up to the task because of his failure to deal with administrative challenges at the labour court.

Over the next two years‚ Zondo and his team will go through copious files and several witnesses with an end goal – to recommend criminal prosecution‚ possibly against former president Jacob Zuma, the Guptas and others.