Zondo: Zuma and Moyane played key role in capturing SARS

Johannesburg – Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in his role as the chairperson of the state capture commission has thrown the gauntlet at former President Jacob Zuma, accusing him of capturing the South African Revenue Services (Sars) with the assistance of the entity’s erstwhile boss Tom Moyane.

The Nugent Commission which looked into the near-collapse of Sars four years ago has already put the blame at the door of Moyane and consulting firm Bain & Co. for dismantling key units in Sars.

Moyane was appointed in 2014 as Sars boss, replacing Ivan Pillay, who acted in the position after the resignation of the former commissioner, Oupa Magashula.

Zondo heard evidence of how Moyane was promised the position of SARS Commissioner by Zuma well in advance of his formal appointment and that Bain met Zuma and Moyane before they had even been appointed as third-party consultants to SARS.

Bain was employed by former Sars Commissioner Tom Moyane to establish a restructuring model of the Revenue Service Division at a cost of R164 million.

The company has been fingered by Williams and other witnesses who testified before the Nugent Commission of being central in the dismantling of Sars.

Judge Robert Nugent who chaired the inquiry into tax administration was scathing into the conduct of Bain over the work it did for Sars.

He said in the report released on Friday that Moyane’s interest was to take control of Sars, while Bain was only interested in making money at the expense of the revenue service.

“We think that what occurred can be fairly described as a premeditated offensive against Sars, strategised by the local office of Bain & Company Inc, located in Boston, for Mr Moyane to seize Sars, each in pursuit of their own interests that were symbiotic, but not altogether the same,” Nugent said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa later endorsed Nugent’s recommendation that Moyane be fired as the head of the revenue services.

Zondo in the first of three parts of his final report said Sars was captured by Zuma.

“All these actions and events cannot be coincidental. This is especially so in the light of
the planning documents which the Commission has been shown. The only feasible conclusion is that the organization was deliberately captured and President Zuma and
Mr Moyane played critical roles to in the capture of SARS and dismantling it in the way it was done during Mr Moyane’s term as Commissioner.”

Zondo also called on all Bain’s contracts with state departments and organs of state to “be re-examined for compliance with the relevant statutory and constitutional provisions.”

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