SARS to fall under DOH authority
MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA mayibongwe.mahina@inl.co.za
AS THE parliamentary process on the Border Management Authority Bill moves closer to finalisation, it has emerged that the SA Revenue Service would fall under authority of the Home Affairs Department (DOH).
This emerged this week when the home affairs portfolio committee considered the response of the department to “consequential” amendments proposed by the National Council of Province’s select committee on security and justice.
The department also gave its response to the agreement reached between Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Finance Minister Tito Mboweni on SARS involvement in the planned agency.
The amendment sort to, among other things, insert definitions for understanding the bill to include custom-related functions by SARS.
The two departments have agreed on an implementation protocol to enable seamless functioning and co-ordination of border management areas within six months of the implementation of the new law.
Deon Erassmus, DOH’S chief legal advisor for legal services, said in November the select committee had deliberated on proposals after engaging the department, National Treasury, SAPS and SANDF and other departments.
He said this led to “a decision to remove SARS from the bill”.
Because of suggestions by the select committee, provision of service by SARS, SAPS and SANDF will depend on participation of other organs of state and in a manner where there was an implementation protocol.
The minister of Home Affairs could initiate the process for the conclusion of implementation protocol within six months after formation of the agency to co-ordinate their functioning in border areas and ports of entry.
DA MP Adrian Roos said they have no objections to the changes made to the bill but reserved their right to consult their party caucus.
Committee chairperson Bongani Bongo said the report would be referred to the National Assembly for debate.
IT IS still unclear whether EFF leader Julius Malema and his wife Mantoa Malema will accept ANC MP Boy Mamabolo’s early morning apology for accusing the firebrand politician of abusing her and drop their defamation lawsuit.
“I would like to take this opportunity to apologise and retract the insensitive statements that I have made in Parliament and outside regarding gender-based violence which was allegedly happening in your household,” he said.
However, the ANC MP later deleted the apology, which he posted on his social media platforms.
According to Mamabolo, he posed the question to Malema due to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call during the Parliament’s special joint sitting last year in which he called upon all South Africans to expose any form of gender-based violence.
Mamabolo also blamed a jealous group called “Friends of Mantoa” that started sending him messages from November last year.
“I was, therefore, actually wrong to raise the matter in public without consulting with you as my former family friends to verify these false allegations from jealous ‘Friends of Mantoa’,” he said.
Both Mamabolo and EFF spokesperson Vuyani Pambo did not respond to Independent Media’s questions on whether Malema and his wife’s defamation lawsuit would proceed following Mamabolo’s public apology, which they demanded earlier this week.
Neither Malema nor his wife had indicated anything on the threats to litigate in the statements where they accepted Ramaphosa’s apology.
Malema’s wife accepted Ramaphosa’s apology on her husband and children’s behalf, promising to “put the matter aside and dismiss it as a thing of the past”.
“Having said this, Mr President, it is important to place on record that in a country where women continue to wear black outfits, either mourning the death of their girl children or in solidarity with women who are victims of gender-based violence, Parliament should never be used to humiliate women, particularly using false and malicious accusations.
“It should never be a platform where women are a weapon in an attempt to neutralise political opponents in a general masculine, toxic exchange,” she said, adding that it would be an insult to women.
In his apology, Mamabolo said gender-based violence “is not a matter to be used to settle political scores”.