Days of Zondo: The fight for freedom from corruption by Ferial Haffajee

In order to look to the future, we must first understand the past. On 2 November 2016, then Public Protector Thuli Madonsela ordered a Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. Chaired by Judge Raymond Zondo, the commission began proceedings on 21 August 2018. After three years of staggering testimonies, the breadth and depth of how South Africa was captured has been laid bare for a traumatised nation to comprehend.

Days of Zondo is the definitive guide to what was formally exposed during the commission; with players ranging from the Gupta family to former president Jacob Zuma, Gupta lieutenant Salim Essa, Ace Magashule, SAA’s Dudu Myeni, Brian Molefe, Bosasa’s Angelo Agrizzi, numerous ministers and associates, business leaders and corporate entities.

This tangled web of corruption and criminality is unravelled by award-winning journalist Ferial Haffajee as she leads the reader through Zondo’s biggest moments and the most shocking admissions, and makes sense of the commission’s findings.

Infographics and timelines give a bird’s-eye view of the key findings from the commission’s report, including how much money was spent, how much was lost and where it could have helped us improve the quality of life for ordinary South African citizens.

Days of Zondo is a riveting, shocking and at times emotional read that invites the reader into the depths of state capture whilst at the same time giving acknowledgement and catharsis to its victims: the people of South Africa.