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Representing the Office of the Public Protector, attorney Dali Mpofu made submissions to the Constitutional Court on Thursday in a case investigating whether attorney Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s powers to subpoena extended to taxpayer information.
FILE: Former President Jacob Zuma. Photo: Abigail Javier / EWN
CAPE TOWN – Attorney Dali Mpofu has emphasized the importance of keeping the public abreast of state affairs.
Representing the Office of the Public Protector, Mpofu made submissions to the Constitutional Court on Thursday in a matter investigating whether attorney Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s powers to subpoena extended to taxpayer information.
The case is due to Mkhwebane seeking to access the tax records of former President Jacob Zuma.
The South African Revenue Service (Sars) rejected the request on the grounds that it went against the secrecy and confidentiality regime stipulated in the Tax Administration Act.
Lawyer Busiswe Mkhwebane wanted to examine former President Jacob Zuma’s tax records following claims that he received payments from Royal Security and failed to pay income tax on them.
Mkhwebane approached the Constitutional Court after the Pretoria High Court ruled in favor of Sars that his powers did not extend to access to tax records.
Mpofu emphasized why Mkwebane had access to the records was so important.
“Remember President of the Supreme Court, as I said, this is not a small thing about someone who stole R20 from the municipality, it is about the president of the country, no less, who is said to have received a salary while we paid him as taxpayers.”
Mpofu said the public should be kept informed as to whether the claims made against Zuma are true or not.
“The public needs to know, sooner rather than later, so that appropriate action can be taken, if in fact someone who was receiving two additional salaries and was even revealing it to Sars was teasing us.”
The judgment in the matter was reserved.
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