Tom Moyane fired: Expect legal action and a shake-up for SARS

After much deliberation, Cyril Ramaphosa has finally heeded the calls of the Nugent Inquiry and followed their directive to fire the suspended SARS Commissioner, Tom Moyane.

The tax firm's chief, who has been placed on leave since May, had been royally tuned out by the investigative committee, lead by Judge Robert Nugent.

Tom Moyane fired by Cyril Ramaphosa His legacy of failure and corruption has turned the tax institution - once hailed as a world-class system - on its head - that is the term Nugent used when summarising Moyane's tenure.

BREAKING: Tom Moyane has been fired as SARS Commissioner. The Presidency has issued Moyane a letter telling him he will no longer be the commissioner. More on NewsNight 403 #eNCA #SarsInquiry

- Heidi Giokos (@Heidigiokos) November 1, 2018

Legal action likely to follow Moyane's legal team have already expressed that they'd be approaching the Constitutional Court of South Africa if their client was dismissed. The ex-SARS chief has blasted the inquiry as a waste of everyone's time , and won't be taking this one lying down.

Moyane's replacement SARS' next task will be to appoint someone to fill Moyane's shoes. Or at least, wear them much better. Mark Kingon has been the acting commissioner for the last five months, and he's seen as a steady the ship figure by Cyril Ramaphosa. You can find out more about him here.

It's no guarantee Kingon will make the position his, though. According to section 6 (1) of the South African Revenue Service Amendment Act No. 46 of 2002, Ramaphosa can appoint anyone he sees fit for the post . The president may also choose to consult with others before making an appointment.

For many of us though, there's only one person for the job

SARS Chief Officer Digital & IT: Mmamathe Makhekhe-Mokhuane it's bad pic.twitter.com/UsGEF2TTv0

- Azania Afrika (@SAYoungLion) October 17, 2018

What next for SARS? If anyone was in any doubt just how influential the Nugent Inquiry was, this ruling should dismiss all doubts. They have been particularly scathing in their criticism of Moyane, and it's entirely plausible more heads could roll as the investigation continues.

It wasn't that long ago our tax collection service was a highly efficient, well-oiled machine. Already, the move is being well-received, especially by the opposition party. DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Finance welcomed his dismissal, and extended his gratitude towards Kingon:

The DA welcomes the announcement that President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed Mr. Tom Moyane as the Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

The DA expresses its thanks to Mark Kingon for taking on the very difficult task of stopping the destruction at SARS and starting to fix the rot left by Tom Moyane. We urge him to continue the valuable work he has embarked upon.

Tags: Cyril RamaphosasarsTom Moyane

LINK:	https://www.thesouthafrican.com/tom-moyane-fired-cyril-ramaphosa-sars-...
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