EFF says don’t blame Zuma for Sars mess

The EFF remains so opposed to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and his allies that they have taken issue with journalist and researcher Ferial Haffajee for even suggesting that the revenue service’s troubles began during (and because of) Jacob Zuma’s presidential terms.

The EFF maintains that – Zuma or no Zuma – Gordhan, Ivan Pillay and others in their cohort must carry the can for Sars’ problems.

The question of when the troubles for former Sars deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay started was debated after Haffajee shared a link to an old report of hers that pointed fingers at Zuma’s involvement when Sars began sniffing into his tax affairs.

“Ivan Pillay’s trouble started when he questioned former president Jacob Zuma about his tax affairs. Are these the hidden hands behind today’s Public Protector report?” she asked.

Ivan Pillay's trouble started when he questioned former president Jacob Zuma about his tax affairs. Are these the hidden hands behind today's Public Protector report? How the taxman was broken https://t.co/2i00mM6vqy via @News24

— Ferial Haffajee (@ferialhaffajee) July 5, 2019

Her report details Zuma’s previous encounters with the revenue service and the political pressures that may have been brought to bear on Sars, ending with his perceived ally Tom Moyane ultimately being installed as the new commissioner. Moyane was axed from the service in disgrace earlier this year after the Nugent inquiry made damning findings against him. Perhaps not coincidentally, he was represented in that matter by EFF chairperson Advocate Dali Mpofu.

Zuma met at least four times with Sars officials during his tenure on different aspects of tax compliance. The first was when Zuma’s son Edward faced off with Sars in relation to his tobacco business. The second involved Zuma’s wives and their businesses, primarily trusts they were involved in. A third was a Sars investigation into Nkandla, where Pillay allegedly met with Zuma about tax implications regarding state-sponsored upgrades to his homestead. Zuma was also alleged to have met with Cape gangsters and, on the agenda was the gangsters’ issues with Sars.

The EFF’s secretary-general, Godrich Gardee, shares the much-voiced sentiment of EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu, that the problems for Pillay were mainly related to the matters contained in the public protector’s report dealing with him not being properly qualified (supposedly not even having a matric certificate), his role in setting up the so-called rogue unit and the deal he struck to have his pension paid out to him while retaining his job.

No, @ferialhaffajee, problems started when without a matric he became a senior SARS official, established a parallel intelligence unit & lastly, when he stole his pension (we all want that arrangement) & got himself re-employed again by SARS without advertisement of his post !! https://t.co/78KvMQos9L

— Godrich Gardee (@GardeeGodrich) July 7, 2019

Haffajee responded to Gardee that Pillay actually did have a matric qualification and that there were finer points about the work of the Sars intelligence unit that both the EFF and the public protector were getting wrong.

She said: “Not quite, honourable Gardee – Ivan Pillay does have a matric (story later today). And, the cops (Criminal Intelligence), the FIC (an intelligence centre) the FSCA and Sars all gather intelligence in their fields – it’s not intelligence as pertains to national security.”

Gardee replied with: Interception of communication can only be done by three intelligence units. Police, army and [the] Secret Service (Domestic and Foreign). They must get permission from a designated judge…Purchase and possession of such equipment by any person or entity except those above is unlawful & criminal.”

Both Pillay and Gordhan are in the process of challenging Mkhwebane’s findings against them in court.

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