It’s understood that Raymond Zondo has submitted an application to extend the duration of the State Capture Inquiry, taking the graft probe deep into the winter of 2021. His request has, reportedly, been sent to the Gauteng High Court.

The Commission began in August 2018, when Mcebisi Jonas dished the dirt on the Guptas. Since then, we’ve had the Bosasa revelations, two walk-outs from Jacob Zuma, and witnesses that have infuriated DCJ Zondo. It’s been a wild ride, and it seems the panel wants one last crack of the whip before calling time on their investigations.

Initially due to run until March, the court-filed request would now add months onto this deadline:

• – According to the papers, Zondo needs a 90-day extension – or the equivalent of a three month period.
• – That would mean the State Capture Inquiry would run until the end of June, existing for almost three years.
• – Zondo is understood to have blamed lockdown for delaying the Commission, and there’s a need to make up for lost time.

On Thursday, more bombshell testimony is expected to drop: The witness in the hot-seat is Makhosi Khoza, who famously quit the ANC in 2017 due to ‘widespread corruption’ in the party. She is likely to open up about every element that forced her to step down from her role as an MP – as the State Capture Inquiry considers its next move with Jacob Zuma.

Raymond Zondo and his team are prepared to lay a criminal complaint against uBaba if he fails to turn up as scheduled at the Commission on Monday 15 February. The former president has indicated that he will not be complying with the order, and this disregard for the Constitutional Court could lead to his arrest. Tensions, as well as a kettle in Nkandla, are boiling.