SARS rejects moves to release Zuma’s records
SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter says he won’t budge in his refusal to release former President Jacob Zuma’s tax records. This is despite a Constitutional Court ruling that blanket tax secrecy is unconstitutional.
The Financial Mail and investigative journalism organisation amaBhungane have been fighting for the release of Zuma's tax records since 2019.
The Sunday Times reports that they have hailed the court’s May 2023 ruling as a victory for transparency and accountability, and have referred SARS’ refusal to the Information Regulator on appeal.
However, Kieswetter said: ‘I don’t serve the interests of transparency and accountability by appeasing amaBhungane or political opponents of Zuma, I do it by remaining absolutely true to what the law requires me to do.’
In its bid for the release of Zuma’s tax records under the Promotion of Access to Information Act, amaBhungane argued that there was ‘serious and credible’ evidence that Zuma was not tax compliant during his years of office.
‘If amaBhungane has evidence – remember these people claim their evidence is a book written by Jacques Pauw, and as we know a book is not evidence – why don’t they take Jacques Pauw to court? That would be a far easier route to the evidence than SARS,’ Kieswetter said.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
