Finance Minister Tito Mboweni on Saturday stoke fires when he suggested that the time has arrived for rogue churches to be taxed.
The minister in a tweet called for suggestions to hit churches in the pocket. “Any ideas about how to impose taxation on these mushrooming handy clappy, snake eating “churches”. The time to tax them is now!!!,” Mboweni tweeted.
Mboweni’s suggestion drew differing views.
One twitter user under the handle @Kay_Ass555 said: “Let the churches pay tithe to the government…tax them 10% honourable minister.”
Another twitteratti opposed the idea.
“Taxing them is legitimizing them, a lot of them are illegitimate enough to stay away from illegitimate monies & firm enough to act against wrongdoers (of which I know it’s not) like the govts of Botswana etc have. SA is crime scene!” @OwaseMzantsi.
The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities has called for the regulation of churches in South Africa.
The Commission has argued that every other sector of economic activity in this country. Is regulated and made example the Medical Research Council, which deals with health professionals and the Nursing Council.
Mboweni will later this month table the 2020/21 budget in Parliament.
By Kabelo Khumalo
