the awarding of contracts and tenders by government, and of what nature and extent; and in particular, whether the national executive or state functionaries had influenced the awarding of tenders to benefit themselves, their families, or entities in which they held a personal interest. If irregularities were found, the Commission was also to investigate the extent to which the national executive – including Zuma and the deputy ministers – had been responsible for them. Hearings Most testimony given to the inquiry focused on corruption and maladministration at state institutions during Zuma's administration (2009–2018). Over 300 witnesses testified, with revelations including allegations about: State capture by the Gupta brothers, including, through their media enterprises, contracts that companies associated with the brothers received from state-owned companies, and controversy over an Air Force Base Waterkloof incident; Corruption and maladministration at the Vrede Dairy Project; Issues relating to lobbying to protect the pay-TV monopoly of MultiChoice; Payment of kickbacks to secure government contracts by EOH Group; The role of McKinsey & Company in facilitating large-scale corruption by the Gupta brothers; The role of Bain & Company in helping to systematically de-capacitate the South African Revenue Service; and Harassment and persecution faced by whistleblowers who helped expose corruption. During hearings on these sagas, the commission has heard extensive testimony about maladministration and/or corruption at state-owned enterprises and state institutions including: The state-owned rail monopoly Transnet; National energy utility Eskom; The state-owned defence conglomerate Denel; The South African Broadcasting Corporation; The state-owned airline South African Airways; Law enforcement agencies, including the South African Police Service and the National Prosecuting Authority; The South African Revenue Service; The State Security Agency; and The City of Johannesburg municipality. Allegations against Zuma Several witnesses – according to the commission, more than 40 by February 2021 – personally implicated Zuma in misconduct. For example: Vytjie Mentor testified that in 2010, while Zuma was in a nearby room, the Gupta family had offered to make her Minister of Public Enterprises if she cancelled the South African Airways route to India, to the benefit of Jet Airways and Etihad Airways; Themba Maseko, former head of Government Communications and Information Systems, testified that in 2010 Zuma had asked him to "help" the Gupta family, including by placing government advertisements in the Gupta-owned New Age; Former Minister of Finance Nhlanhla Nene testified that in 2015, Zuma had scolded him for not having finalised a R1.6-trillion