Raymond Zondo

Raymond Zondo is a South African judge who serves as Chief Justice of South Africa, having been appointed to the position in April 2022. He is a South African national who rose to prominence through a distinguished judicial career spanning several decades. Zondo previously served as Deputy Chief Justice from 2017 to 2022 and has been a judge of the Constitutional Court since 2012. He is best known internationally for chairing the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector, commonly known as the Zondo Commission, from 2018 to 2022. The commission investigated allegations of state capture during the presidency of Jacob Zuma, examining evidence of systemic corruption involving government officials, state-owned enterprises and private sector entities. His leadership of the inquiry brought him into the centre of South Africa's efforts to address governance failures and hold powerful actors accountable. The commission's multi-volume final report, delivered in 2022, made extensive findings and recommendations that continue to shape prosecutorial and policy responses. Zondo's judicial career began in the Transvaal Provincial Division in 1997, and he later served in the Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court before his elevation to the Constitutional Court. His tenure as Chief Justice has focused on judicial independence, the rule of law and the integrity of South Africa's constitutional democracy. He holds law degrees from the University of Zululand and has been recognised for his contribution to South African jurisprudence and public accountability.