Implementing the Zondo Commission Recommendations

This briefing by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) evaluates the progress of the South African government in implementing the recommendations of the Zondo Commission on state capture. It argues that while some legislative steps have been taken, many executive promises remain vague, and critical structural weaknesses in Parliament, the criminal justice system, and state-owned entities (SOEs) have not been adequately addressed.

• Parliament has been slow to implement the Zondo Commission's recommendations despite publishing an implementation plan in November 2022. Most recommendations, such as appointing opposition committee chairs, were rejected, and the Commission's reports have not been meaningfully dealt with by committees.
• The criminal justice system remains highly politicised, and the NPA Amendment Bill tabled in August 2023 fails to address appointment processes for the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) or strengthen the operational independence of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
• The General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill of 2023, which proposes splitting the State Security Agency into domestic and foreign agencies, is described as seriously flawed due to provisions that expand surveillance and intelligence scopes while weakening oversight.
• Accountability for private sector actors involved in state capture has been minimal. While some firms like Bain & Co. were banned from government work and charges were brought against McKinsey, most implicated players have emerged unscathed.
• The Public Procurement Bill is the primary reform initiative for procurement, but it is criticised for misalignment with Section 217 of the Constitution, excessive reliance on subordinate legislation, and a failure to incentivise whistleblowing.
• Efforts to professionalise the public service through the Public Service Amendment Bill and the Public Administration and Management Amendment Bill are deemed insufficient. They fail to implement key reforms from the Professionalisation Framework, such as delinking the tenures of department heads from political heads.
• The draft National State-Owned Enterprises Bill introduces a single shareholder model via the State Asset Management SOC but is criticised for not addressing the governance crises exposed by the Zondo Commission, as the holding company board is appointed by the President without clear criteria or checks.
• The Department of Justice produced a discussion document in July 2023 to reform whistleblower protections by amending the Protected Disclosures Act and Witness Protection Act, but it rejects the Zondo Commission's recommendation to provide financial incentives to whistleblowers.

APA

Public Affairs Research Institute (2023). Implementing the Zondo Commission Recommendations. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231019_ZondoRecommendationsProgress_v0.4.pdf

Chicago

Public Affairs Research Institute. Implementing the Zondo Commission Recommendations. 2023. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231019_ZondoRecommendationsProgress_v0.4.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Public Affairs Research Institute |title=Implementing the Zondo Commission Recommendations |date=October 2023 |url=https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231019_ZondoRecommendationsProgress_v0.4.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{publicaffairsresearchinstitute2023implementing, author = {{Public Affairs Research Institute}}, title = {{Implementing the Zondo Commission Recommendations}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2023}, month = oct, url = {https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231019_ZondoRecommendationsProgress_v0.4.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }