SARS legal team slams Jacob Zuma affidavit in Public Protector matter - report

Jacob Zuma has filed an affidavit in the matter between SARS and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane over the former head of state's tax affairs. File picture: ANA

Jacob Zuma has filed an affidavit in the matter between SARS and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane over the former head of state's tax affairs. File picture: ANA

Published Mar 6, 2020

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Johannesburg - Former president Jacob Zuma has filed an affidavit in the matter between SA Revenue Service (SARS) and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane over the former head of state's tax affairs. 

According to Business Day, Zuma filed the court papers on Thursday and said he had no problem with Mkhwebane being allowed access to his tax information. Zuma said he had given consent to this when he tweeted this to his thousands of followers. 

The case against SARS and Mkhwebane pertains to Mkhwebane's efforts to access Zuma's tax information from SARS. She is investigating the allegation that the former president was paid R1 million a month by a company called Royal Security company - whose owner, Roy Moodley, is politically connected. 

Former DA leader Mmusi Maimane had requested that Mkhwebane investigate the claims that were first published in journalist Jacques Pauw's book 'The President's Keepers'. 

Mkhwebane had threatened SARS with legal action and a subpoena if it did not forward Zuma's tax documents. SARS head Edward Kieswetter then approached the courts to settle the matter on whether Mkhwebane had the powers to access sensitive tax information. 

Kieswetter's legal representatives argue that Zuma's affidavit was filed late and that it does nothing to assist Mkhwebane's case. 

SARS had asked for the affidavit not to be admitted into court records. But SARS also argues that the affidavit proves that Mkhwebane's threat of legal action was weak as she could have been able to access the tax information from Zuma. 

Zuma had no legal basis to allow for SARS confidential tax information to be accessed by Mkhwebane, Business Day reported. 

The case was expected to be heard on Friday morning. 

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