South Africans might be forgiven for expecting two key commissions of inquiry currently underway to change the country. The Commission is appointed to investigate matters of public and national interest concerning allegations of state capture, corruption, and fraud. United Nations mandated commissions of inquiry, fact-finding missions and investigations are increasingly being used to respond to situations of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, whether protracted or resulting from sudden events, and to promote accountability for such violations and counter impunity. Introduction. This is why the most the commissioners could do is make recommendations and allow those who may be found culpable to appeal to the court of appeal for any adverse decision that may be taken against them. While their findings are not legally binding, they can be highly influential. South Africa has in recent years witnessed a proliferation of commissions of inquiry. 14 Apr 2019. The Zondo commission, as it is commonly known, joins the long list of commissions on inquiry that have been a feature of South African life since 1994. There are no less than three commissions of inquiry running in South Africa at the moment. But first up what is a commission of inquiry? Introduction. Just when we had thought the report by Judge Richard Nugent on his probe into South African Revenue Service (SARS) was damning as it led to the axing of the former commissioner, Tom Moyane, other commissions were loading. Legal Analysis Of Commissions Of Inquiry . South Africans might be forgiven for expecting two key commissions of inquiry currently underway to change the country. A Judicial Commission of Inquiry ( "the Commission ") is hereby appointed in terms of Section 84(2)(f) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. Some expectations might be met, but only if the commissions achieve public buy-in and generate enough pressure for change. Some of these expectations, however, are unrealistic, as a look at the commissions’ functions and powers show. South Africa and abroad, enjoy considerable persuasive value. A commission of inquiry aims to speed up the dispensation of justice. Commissions report findings, give advice and make recommendations. In apartheid South Africa, judges were appointed by the President, usually on the direction of the Minister of Justice, ... when the South African Rugby Football Union's legal challenge to President Mandela's power to appoint a commission of inquiry into … Though their purposes have varied immensely, their primary role has been to serve as a truth finding mechanism, to unearth various wrongs and to advise the government on the manner in which such wrongs may be corrected. A commission of inquiry is not a court of law. On 14 January 2016, President Jacob Zuma established a Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training in order to add into the body of knowledge and evidence that will inform government’s decision making process in pursuit of a sustainable solution to the on-going higher education funding matter. Some of these expectations, however, are unrealistic, as a look at the commissions’ functions and powers show. A recent example of a public commission A commission of inquiry is one of many bodies available to the government to inquire into various issues. The nature, use and purposes of a commission of inquiry Although the majority of commissions of inquiry are appointed by the government, there is nothing to preclude the appointment of a commission of inquiry by some other body. South Africans might be forgiven for expecting two key commissions of inquiry currently underway to change the country. Considerable time and state funding has been put into the many commissions. 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