Nombembe on list for Sars top job

Four people are in the running for the top job at the South African Revenue Service (Sars) as the interview process to fill this critical position enters the final round.

Those at the forefront include former auditor-general Terence Nombembe, despite his lack of tax experience, among others.

The new commissioner would become the fifth in Sars’s history since the start of democracy, replacing Tom Moyane, who was fired last November, eaving the institution in tatters.

Under Moyane’s watch tax collection declined, leaving a gaping hole in government revenue and prompting significant tax increases to make up the shortfall.

Nombembe is head of investigations for judge Raymond Zondo’s inquiry into state capture.

Nombembe was seconded to the role early in 2018 from his position as CEO of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (Saica).

He was SA’s auditor-general from 2006 to 2013.

Nombembe is believed to be vying for the position of commissioner against three other shortlisted candidates: acting commissioner Mark Kingon, Edward Kieswetter, previously a deputy commissioner of Sars and former CEO of Alexander Forbes, and former Sars head of enforcement Gene Ravele.

A former Sars executive said the qualities boosting Nombembe’s prospects were that “he is new, he doesn’t have a lot of baggage that he is carrying.

“He can build new alliances and he can build new blood.

“He understands audit in and out.”

However, a senior tax practitioner who spoke on condition of anonymity said Kingon and Kieswetter were more likely appointees.

“Mark has been there the longest, he’s got technical and operational [skills] and he has public and private support.”

Kieswetter had “a lot of critical thinking skills”, was a wellknown, learned and articulate public figure who was a former Sars deputy commissioner.

He also has experience in banking and the insurance and wealth market.

The tax practitioner said Kingon was considered by the industry to have performed well by stabilising Sars and working on measures to improve tax morality and compliance since the scandals.

Among Kingon’s achievements is the reopening of Sars’s large-business centre, dedicated to collecting tax from companies and high net worth individuals, which was weakened by Moyane.

A former Sars executive said Kingon, who has spent more than three decades in various positions at Sars, had strengths in personal and corporate income tax collection and had built firm relationships with tax practitioners, but might not win the job from a political perspective, because of his race.

The former Sars executive said Kieswetter, a professor, was considered to be better suited to academia.

“Not many people will be too happy to see him back at Sars,” the source said.

Ravele was “too much of a technician” and did not know Sars well enough.

Nombembe did not respond to requests for comment and on the interview process.

Kingon referred inquiries to the Treasury.

Ravele declined to comment.

Kieswetter said: “There’s nothing I can add to what’s already in the public domain.

“It’s a process that must run its course.” –