Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s state capture report has accused former President Jacob Zuma of fleeing the commission of inquiry because he could not explain how Dudu Myeni was appointed and retained as South African Airways board chair for five years.
The first part of the three-series report was released on Tuesday.
When former President Zuma set up the commission, he insisted that there was no state capture during his time but the commission has concluded that state capture had been established.
The evidence showed how Myeni was appointed acting board chair of SAA in 2012 despite being an underperforming board member.
It said that Zuma could not have justified his insistence that Myeni be retained at SAA nor could he have credibly denied evidence by former ministers Pravin Gordhan and Nhlanhla Nene that he wanted her retained at SAA.
The report said that with a mixture of negligence, incompetence and deliberate corrupt intent, Myeni created a climate of fear and intimidation at SAA.
Zondo said that evidence showed how Myeni dismantled governance procedures at the South African Airways, making choices that saw it decline into a shambolic state.