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UPDATE | Zondo asks Zuma to return to hot seat two more times before year end

The Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture has asked former president Jacob Zuma to give evidence two more times before the year comes to an end. 

This was revealed in email correspondence, dated July 30, 2019, that was made public on Wednesday evening by the commission.

It followed an article published by Business Day on October 4 titled "Jacob Zuma to get preview of nuke-deal questions", claiming that the inquiry had sent Zuma the 11-page list of "80 questions", giving in to his demand to see them ahead of his next appearance.

To set the record straight, the commission said it would make public the 11-page document sent to Zuma.

It shows that the inquiry's head of the legal team Advocate Paul Pretorius SC sent Zuma's counsel Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane a list of areas of interest which Zuma would be questioned around.

In the correspondence, Pretorius states: "The Chair (Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo) has directed that Mr. Zuma should return to give evidence from 14 October to 25 October 2019 and then from 11 November to 15 November 2019.


Zondo clarified in a statement on October 8 that the document only contained areas of interest in various affidavits that the legal team was interested in.

He said the Business Day article gives an impression that the commission changed its decisions on the question of whether Zuma must be furnished with questions before he appears before the commission.

"I asked for the document from advocate Paul Pretorius and I could not see any questions," Zondo said.

Zondo implored members of the media to "check their facts and be fair to everybody, including the commission".

The former president made explosive claims when he appeared at the state capture inquiry in July.

Zuma told the commission that Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) council chairperson General Siphiwe Nyanda and Ngoako Ramatlhodi were spies, News24 earlier reported.

Both men hit back, with Ramatlhodi challenging Zuma to a lie detector test and Nyanda saying he would consider cross-examining Zuma at the commission.

A month later, Sikhakhane hinted that his client would be returning to the commission.

Sikhakhane revealed the dates – October 20 or November 11 – during his arguments in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, in the case of ANC NEC member Derek Hanekom and Zuma, News24 previously reported.

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