Commissions of inquiry have been a feature of political life in SA since 1994. However, the Seriti and Zondo commissions arguably represent the most explicit evidence of the scourge of corruption in democratic SA.

The Seriti inquiry into the arms deal, which cost R137m, was handed over to former president Jacob Zuma in 2016. This commission found no evidence of the 1999 arms deal corruption. Justice Raymond Zondo would hand over one of his three reports to President Cyril Ramaphosa in early January six years later...