Whipping Booi not too sharp

It is interesting that the ANC’s whip in the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), Nyami Booi, was alongside SA Revenue Service (Sars) commissioner Tom Moyane yesterday when they both attacked auditing giant KMPG for withdrawing its report on the alleged Sars “rogue unit”.

The ANC’s study group on Scopa at the same time accused KMPG of “politically motivated immoral and unethical conduct” in relation to the report.

The grandstanding Booi made the point that Scopa’s job is to “look at why taxpayers’ money has to be wasted and not be accounted for”.

One could argue with Mr Booi about why ANC MPs were less than vocal on other wastage of taxpayer money, but did he not notice that KPMG has said it will pay back the R23 million Sars spent on the report? So, there has been no “wastage” of taxpayer money, Mr Booi.

And there was another thing you missed, Mr Scopa chair: the fact that Moyane has threatened to sue KPMG for all manner of illegalities and unethical practices in relation to the “rogue unit” report. And where will those legal fees come from, Mr Booi? That’s right. The taxpayer. Is that acceptable to you?

We do hope that Moyane is true to his word and brings legal action against KPMG. That way, we will finally get to the bottom of what looks like an attempt to capture the revenue gathering apparatus for political ends.

After the purges and instability which followed the media coverage of the report, Sars is showing signs of being in a mess. Its revenue predictions are coming up R13 billion short, so it has threatened to tax expatriate South Africans.

It has also been censured for delaying legitimate refunds due to taxpayers.

It’s your organisation which needs sorting out, Mr Moyane.