Lackay feared for his reputation in ‘rogue unit’ matter

When former South African Revenue Service (Sars) spokesperson Adrian Lackay tried setting up a working group to deal with the damning claims about a rogue covert unit operating at Sars, which was allegedly running brothels and spying on President Jacob Zuma, among other claims, Sars commissioner Tom Moyane’ alleged response to Lackay’s immediate superior was, by SMS: “Why are you trying to undermine the commissioner?”

Lackay, testifying before Council for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) commissioner Joyce Nkopane in Johannesburg yesterday, noted he needed knowledge of and transparency about issues raised in the media, otherwise he would have suffered reputational and credibility damage.

“No journalist in my experience would attach any credibility to a media spokesperson who had been find to be untruthful or misleading the media,” Lackay told Nkopane.

Lackay was Sars’ spokesperson from 2003 until he resigned in February 2015.

Led by advocate Paul Pretorius (SC), Lackay said the position required “a certain level of trust” when it came to dealing with sensitive matters and a close working relationship.

It was when this relationship between Sars commissioner Tom Moyane and Lackay became “intolerable” after Moyane’s appointment in October 2014 that Lackay said he resigned.

He is now suing Sars for constructive dismissal.

According to Lackay, contributory actions to the breakdown were the high-level suspensions of officials, the Sars executive committee six weeks after he took office, and the the leaking of these actions to the media to which Lackay would then be required to respond, without being fully informed.

If he had been properly briefed, the now discredited narrative of the Sars “rogue unit” could have been handled far better, Lackay claimed.

“Instead, I had to respond without detailed information,” Lackay said, noting Moyane had kept the Sikhakane report away from him. 

“It was at this point I felt the relationship was at an ultimate low point and I felt I was not trusted to deal with these very serious issues,” Lackay said. 

The CCMA hearing continues today.