Pretoria - The head of South Africa's revenue service, Oupa Magashula, has resigned over charges he inappropriately offered a job to an accountant, placing the reputation the tax department at risk, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Friday.
“Following the outcome of a fact-finding inquiry into these allegations, Mr Magashula has resigned with effect from 12 July 2013,” Gordhan said.
However, the inquiry found that Magashula had committed no crime, he added.
Gordhan on March 24 appointed the two-member panel to probe Magashula’s conduct after Johannesburg-based City Press reported he had offered a job to an associate of a convicted drug dealer.
The report was based on a taped phone conversation.
Magashula had failed to co-operate adequately with the investigators and provided false testimony, Gordhan said.
His conduct “placed the reputation and credibility of SARS at risk,” the minister said.
Ivan Pillay, the deputy commissioner of SARS, was appointed to replace Magashula in an acting capacity. - Reuters and Bloomberg