Investigate SARS chief
SIR — There is no doubt that South African Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner Tom Moyane has been tardy, to put it mildly, in responding to the report he received in May regarding the extremely suspicious activities of his second-in-command, Jonas Makwakwa (So little and so late from SARS, September 16).
For this inaction alone Moyane himself should be investigated and, if no reasonable explanation is forthcoming (it is difficult to imagine what that might be), he should be subject to severe disciplinary sanction.
But more than that, there is a distinct possibility that Moyane’s inaction may have contravened the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, Section 34 of which provides that “any person who holds and who knows or ought reasonably to have known or suspected” that any other person has committed an offence under the act involving an amount of R100,000 or more, is obliged to report his knowledge or suspicion to the police.
Failure to do so is itself an offence and subject to a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
What could be more suspicious than a senior official in the revenue authority depositing large amounts of cash into his personal bank account? Has Moyane reported this to the police? Early reports suggested that he and Hawks head Berning Ntlemeza had met (in late August, mind you) to discuss this matter. However, last Wednesday Moyane told a parliamentary committee that he had not met Ntlemeza regarding the allegations against Makwakwa.
If Moyane has indeed not reported this to the police, then it is the Hawks who should be wanting to see him. If he has reported it, then Ntlemeza has to explain why he has done nothing.
We are determined that these questions should be answered. We will use whatever lawful means we have at our disposal to find out the answers and other concerned South Africans should be encouraged to do the same.
On the face of it this matter reeks of corruption — and not only of Makwakwa’s making.
These eminently reasonable suspicions need to be put to rest.