Jonas Makwakwa must not get a golden handshake

15 March 2018

Jonas Makwakwa's departure from South African Revenue Service (SARS) must not be rewarded with any gratuity or golden handshake as his tenure turned out to be a financial burden on the tax authority.

The DA has written to the Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene, requesting that he ensures that Makwakwa is not paid anything but the minimum the law requires following his resignation from SARS as Chief Officer of Business and Individual Taxes.

Despite the cloud of corruption hanging over his head, Makwakwa's salary for the 2016/17 financial year was R4,9 million with an additional bonus payment of R930 000 before his suspension.

The allegations of corruption and money laundering did not stop Makwakwa from being reinstated into his senior position at SARS, from which he continued to receive financial compensation.

It is deeply concerning that allegations of corruption and money laundering did not stop Makwakwa from being reinstated to his senior position at SARS. Indeed, his reinstatement, was apparently not based on findings which cleared him of all charges emanating from a Finance Intelligence Centre (FIC) report that had flagged suspicious transactions through his bank account.

Moyane and Makwakwa's 'alliance of mutual destruction' has run its course and to guarantee a turnaround in SARS's fortunes, President Ramaphosa must also wield the axe on Tom Moyane himself.

Issued by Alf Lees, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Finance, 15 March 2018