The State Capture Inquiry will ask the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria for a three-month extension, says commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
On Thursday, Zondo said the inquiry needed to hear the evidence of "five or six witnesses" before completing oral hearings, after which President Cyril Ramaphosa will return.
"I will not end the work of the commission in an irresponsible manner," Zondo said in response to calls for the commission to complete its work.
News24 reported earlier that the inquiry would seek another extension of its term, with just days to go before it was scheduled to hand over a final report to the president.
Zondo confirmed in May that he would seek what he described as a limited extension of the inquiry - the fourth that it has asked for - to enable it to complete its report.
The Council for the Advancement of the SA Constitution has already expressed concern about the commission's planned application for an extension, which comes as the inquiry appears to be struggling to ensure that its staff, investigators and lawyers are paid on time.
This is a developing story.
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