Mkhwebane free to view my tax records, says Zuma
Former president Jacob Zuma has offered up his tax records to Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane in a bid to clear his name amid claims he pocketed undeclared money from a security company during his tenure as president.
Zuma’s comments come amid a legal wrangle between South African Revenue Service (Sars) commissioner Edward Kieswetter and Mkhwebane over Zuma’s tax records.
Kieswetter cited the protection of tax payer's personal information as guarded by the Tax Information Act.
But moments after the Sars briefing in Pretoria Zuma took to Twitter to defend the public protector's right to access his tax records.
"I hear that my SARS records are being contested in court by Kieswetter. No one has consulted me about this matter," the tweet said.
"It must be known that I have nothing to hide. If the Public Protector wants to see my SARS records she is free to do so."
I hear that my SARS records are being contested in court by Kieswetter. No one has consulted me about this matter. Furthermore, I have been informed that the office requesting these records is the office of the @PublicProtector (PP) @AdvBMkhwebane
— Jacob G Zuma (@PresJGZuma) November 12, 2019
The claims against Zuma were first made in Jacques Pauw's book ‘The President’s Keepers’, which alleged that Zuma received R1m a month from Royal Security, a company owned by Roy Moodley.
Pauw wrote that neither Zuma, nor Moodley, declared these payments to Sars.