Sars payment to ‘rogue unit’ an ‘abuse of state resources’, says EFF

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says the South African Revenue Services (Sars) payment to members of the “rogue unit” is an “abuse of state resources”.

This come after the tax collector publicly apologised to several of its former employees whose lives, livelihoods and reputations were destroyed during the capture of the tax authority.

Sars paymnent

Sars has also paid “fair and reasonable” compensation for the infringement of their personal rights and loss of employment.

The apology was labelled by commissioner Edward Kieswetter as “heartfelt” gesture of restoration and closure.

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Abuse of office

However, the EFF is not taking kindly to the gesture and has condemned the actions of the revenue service.

“Since his election as president, Cyril Ramaphosa and his ministers and some senior government officials in the National Treasury, including senior managers appointed in state-owned entities such as Sars and the National Prosecuting Authority, have abused their offices to prevent the maximum prosecution of members of the Sars Rogue Unit.”

“The NPA’s decision to drop the charges against the Rogue Unit members after some preposterous representation to legitimize a rogue decision was a forerunner to the manipulation and abuse of office,” the party said.

Proceed with docket

The EFF has called on the NPA to continue with the docket that had prima facie evidence before a court and an independent judge.

“However, those who were hellbent on abusing their positions in government saw it fit to interfere and undermine the independence of the NPA.” the EFF said.

The red berets reiterated that only a court of law and an independent prosecuting authority can exonerate members of the rogue unit.

“It is not surprising that puppets of the Stellenbosch establishment are used to give legitimize scrupulous payments to people who should be facing the might of the law.”

Full disclosure

The party has called for a full disclosure of the process followed to determine who qualifies for payment.

“We suspect that even retirees who were in financial troubles may have benefited from these scrupulous arrangements as we know that in the past, they benefitted from illegal pension payout.”

The EFF said it has submitted a series of questions to Sars and the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana to clarify the process of the payments to the employees including if it paid Professor Thuli Madonsela as chair of the independent advisory committee appointed by Kieswetter to advise him on the feasibility of the reparations.

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