Cape Town - The Ministry of Finance said on Thursday it had noted the suspension of senior South African Revenue Services (Sars) official Jonas Makwakwa.
In a statement it said that National Treasury had yet to be formally informed of the suspension and was reacting to initial reports, but added that National Treasury had met with Sars Commissioner Tom Moyane and another senior official this week to “discuss the matter”.
“We are awaiting further information on the action that is to be taken by the senior management of Sars in this matter.”
Read: DA wants answers about ‘suspicious’ payments to Sars official
Makwakwa made headlines recently after it emerged that Moyane had reportedly been handed a preliminary report alleging that Makwakwa, the Chief Officer of Business, Individual Taxes and Digital Information Systems at SARS, had received “suspicious and unusual payments” in the amount of R1.2 million between 2010 and 2016.
Press reports said Moyane, with whom Gordhan is openly on frosty terms, was handed the report some four months ago.
National Treasury said it believed that “public confidence and transparency are critical in order to be seen to be doing the right thing in this matter”.
In the meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance welcomed word of Makwakwa’s suspension, but said the latest controversy surrounding the revenue service would further dent confidence in it.
“We are concerned about what appears to have been an undue delay in dealing with this matter, not least because it was raised with Tom Moyane at a meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance on 23 August 2016,” DA finance spokesman David Maynier said.
He said it should be determined whether Moyane acted appropriately and in the best interests of the country and SARS.
“Whatever the case the suspension of Jonas Makwakwa is likely to dent the already dented reputation of the South African Revenue Service.”
African News Agency