Ramaphosa delays Zondo's final report?

The office of the Presidency, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, issued a statement denying that President Cyril Ramaphosa ‘has, in any manner, interfered with the work of the commission or the judiciary as speculated by some opposition parties'.

The final part of the Zondo state capture inquiry report was expected to be released on June 15, as per a court-granted extension, but further delays saw an announcement by Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya that the handover will now take place on Wednesday.

Opposition parties, including the EFF and DA, condemned the delay in the release of the report, with the EFF describing the turn of events as a "patently factional and suspicious delay in the release of the fifth part of the Commission of Inquiry Into State Capture Report".

There is intense speculation that the report is being delayed after former spy boss Arthur Fraser's affidavit to police on June 1, which alleges that the president did not report the theft of ‘large undisclosed sums of foreign currency in the form of US dollars concealed in his furniture at his Phala Phala residence is prima facie proof of money laundering'.

Fraser has also alleged that Ramaphosa tried to cover up the February 2020 crime using state resources.

The Presidency said it issued the statement ‘to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding'.

"The Presidency has, by 23h00, 20 June 2022, still had not received any form of a copy of the final report from the Commission.

"In the morning of the 20th of June 2022, President Ramaphosa and Chief Justice Zondo held a brief telephone call in which the Chief Justice offered reassurance on the delivery of the report and discussed the coordination for the handover ceremony.

"A tentative date of Wednesday 22 June 2022 was therefore agreed due to this further delay, and to President Ramaphosa being scheduled to deliver the eulogy at the Official Funeral of King Zanozuko Sigcau on Tuesday, 21 June 2022 in Flagstaff, Eastern Cape."

The Presidency said it rejects claims that the President has, in any manner, interfered with the work of the commission or the judiciary as speculated by some opposition parties.

"Communication between the Chief Justice and the President has been over the delays in the delivery of the report and finalising the date for the official handover of the report.

"The Presidency will make an announcement once it has received the final report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture."