The onus is on ANC youth league leader Julius Malema to be honest about the difference between his stated income and the standard of living he maintains, the Freedom Front Plus said on Tuesday.
The FF Plus had formally asked the SA Revenue Service (SARS) in February last year to probe Malema's income and real contribution to tax, FF Plus spokesman Anton Alberts said in a statement.
This was because of the “visible difference between his declared salary as ANCYL leader and the high standard of living he maintained.
“SARS stated in their acknowledgement of receipt that they would undertake an investigation into Malema's tax contributions.
“SARS however also stated that an individual's tax returns and payments were a private matter which could not be revealed to the public.
“The onus is therefore on Malema himself to be honest about the difference between his stated income and the standard of living which he maintains,” Alberts said.
Earlier, Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohler Barnard said she had written to SARS to request that Malema's financial affairs be investigated.
SARS spokesman Adrian Lackay could not immediately confirm this. He said earlier that if such a request was received, “obviously we will consider it and establish the merits in the claims that the MP will make, and then we will proceed from there”.
In the letter, a copy of which was sent to Sapa, Kohler Barnard says: “I am writing to you to express my concern at reports that ANC youth league leader Julius Malema is building a home worth R16
million in Sandown, Johannesburg. This comes alongside other reports of excessively high expenditure; including reports that Mr Malema settled a bill of R78,000 in cash at a luxury game lodge.
“Mr Malema alleges that his net ANC youth league salary is his sole income and that is approximately R20,000 a month. This poses grave questions regarding whether or not Mr Malema’s finances are above board.”
The Sunday Independent reported at the weekend that Malema was building a R16 million mansion in Sandown. The house would reportedly include a secure basement where he could hide in case of an attack.
Kohler Barnard said: “Numerous questions are being asked about his conspicuous consumption – such as which bank has lent him R16m when he states that his income is just R20,000p/m, or alternatively, which individual has given him that money, and under what finance regulations would such a donation be legal?”
Responding, ANCYL spokesman Floyd Shivambu said SARS should not take orders from opposition parties.
However, if SARS decided to investigate a complaint from the DA against Malema it would co-operate.
“This is because the ANC youth league is of strong conviction that all South Africans should live honest and corruption-free lifestyles and be at all times ready to account on the resources they have access to.
“The ANC youth league supports SARS activities and decisions on any matter unconditionally, and believes that their decisions on who to conduct investigations and lifestyle audits on will never be a result of political instructions and ventilations of particularly racist political parties,” said Shivambu.
Alberts said Malema had not provided any proper answers about the discrepancy between his income and his wealth.
Various newspapers had reported his companies had received tenders worth millions of rands.
“Despite this, Malema has as per usual side-stepped questions about his wealth and merely said that he was not a public servant who had to reveal his income,” Alberts said. -
Sapa