We will continue to probe “mystery cash payments” linked to Jonas Makwakwa at SARS

11 September 2016

South African Revenue Service Commissioner, Tom Moyane, was reportedly handed a preliminary report alleging that the Chief Officer of Business, Individual Taxes and Digital Information Systems, Jonas Makwakwa, received“suspicious and unusual payments” in the amount of R1.2 million between 2010 and 2016.

These allegations are not new and were raised with the South African Revenue Service Commissioner, Tom Moyane, during a Standing Committee on Finance meeting on 23 August 2016.

When questioned about the investigation, Tom Moyane was evasive and simply stated that he would not “comment on current ongoing investigations”.

Surprisingly, all follow-up questions were referred to senior revenue service officials who were equally evasive and repeated the line that there would be “no comment on current investigations into individuals or companies”.

The burning questions in this case are: whether Tom Moyane acted on the recommendations of the preliminary report and requested an investigation into the allegations surrounding “suspicious and unusual payments”; and if an investigation is being conducted, why Jonas Makwakwa has not suspended, pending the outcome of the investigation, from SARS? 

I will, therefore, submit a parliamentary question to the Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, probing: whether the preliminary report on the “suspicious and unusual payments” was received; whether the investigation, recommended in the preliminary report, is being conducted; and why if an investigation is being conducted, why Jonas Makwakwa has not been suspended, pending the outcome of the investigation, from SARS.

Statement issued by David Maynier MP, DA Shadow Minister of Finance, 11 September 2016