EFF statement on SARS apology and payment of reparations to members of the rogue unit

15 November 2022

The EFF condemns the abuse of state resources by the South African Revenue Services, who have recently announced that they have paid millions of rands to members of the rogue unit.

Since his election as president, Cyril Ramaphosa and his ministers and some senior government officials in the National Treasury, including senior managers appointed in state-owned entities such as SARS and the National Prosecuting Authority, have abused their offices to prevent the maximum prosecution of members of the SARS Rogue Unit.

The NPA's decision to drop the charges against the Rogue Unit members after some preposterous representation to legitimize a rogue decision was a forerunner to the manipulation and abuse of office. The EFF rightfully called for the NPA to proceed with the docket that had prima facie evidence before a court and an independent judge.

However, those who were hellbent on abusing their positions in government saw it fit to interfere and undermine the independence of the NPA. The EFF maintains that only a court of law and an independent prosecuting authority can exonerate members of the Rogue Unit and not some manipulated underhanded decisions between friends, cronies, and network of manipulators. It is not surprising that puppets of the Stellenbosch establishment are used to give legitimize scrupulous payments to people who should be facing the might of the law.

The EFF calls for a full disclosure of the process followed to determine who qualifies for payment and who does not, and which law was used to make such payments. The called reparations and a reason for each payment.

We suspect that even retirees who were in financial troubles may have benefited from these scrupulous arrangements as we know that in the past, they benefitted from illegal pension payout.

We have written to SARS and the Minister of Finance to ask the following questions:

1. Did SARS pay Professor Thuli Madonsela as chair of the independent advisory committee appointed by Commissioner Edward Kieswetter to advise him on the feasibility of reparations to former SARS employees? If yes, how much was she paid?

2. Which legislation was used to make reparation payments to the alleged Rogue Unit members?

3. What process was followed to identify former employees who qualify for reparations, and what criteria were used?

4. Which former employees were paid, and how much was each former employee paid?

We demand that all the questions be responded to transparently and honestly or we will be left with no option but to approach the Courts to compel SARS and the Ministry to respond.

Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 15 November 2022