There is a question deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo keeps asking: who should have done what to prevent state capture? It is not listed in the terms of reference of the state capture inquiry, but Zondo often puts it to witnesses appearing before him and also mentioned it in a television interview this week. It is obviously top of mind and reflects the judge’s thinking about the anatomy of state capture. The voters entrusted the running of the government to a political party and the party then deployed people into leadership positions. Zondo is obviously trying to identify how people not linked to the governing party or the state were able to take control. Was it oversight, negligence, failure or wilful surrender? If so, who should be held accountable? This might be one of the most significant outcomes of the commission. In order to make this finding, Zondo needs more pieces of the puzzle. Through the evidence presented at the commission, it is still not clear how the Guptas were a...

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