Kingon’s term as acting Sars commissioner extended again for 90 days

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has extended Mark Kingon’s position as acting commissioner of Sars for a further 90 days.

If President Cyril Ramaphosa appoints a new commissioner within this time period, Kingon will step aside.

Business Day reported yesterday that Kingon’s 90-day period as acting commissioner had come to an end, and that many speculated it would be renewed.

Ramaphosa can now appoint a new commissioner following the failure of axed ex-Sars boss Tom Moyane’s legal attempt to stop him from doing so.

The High Court in Pretoria ruled that his axing was justified and that the president would have been irrational not to fire him.

Appearing in October at the Nugent commission of inquiry into the problems that have befallen Sars, Kingon apologised to the country for the situation there.

An emotional Mark Kingon had to hold back tears while apologising to not only the country but the president, the minister of finance, former Sars officials and their families for “for the fear and pain they were put through” due to failures in leadership at the revenue service.

The Sars acting commissioner read out an apology at the Nugent commission of inquiry into Sars, saying he was “unreservedly” sorry for his leadership failures.

“I would like to say sorry for falling short of the highest standards,” he said, as well as “for not living up to the SARS values and higher purpose”.

Kingon admitted to having sleepless nights over the future of Sars.

“We need visionary leaders, and we don’t have that,” he said. “We need vision to take this place forward. The first part of healing is acknowledging that there is a problem.”

(Additional reporting by Ilse de Lange and ANA)

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