High court judge Norman Davis has ordered the SA Revenue Service (Sars) to hand over the tax returns of former president Jacob Zuma to the Financial Mail and amaBhungane within ten days.
The FM and amaBhungane lodged the case in 2019 under the Promotion of Access to Information Act, arguing that there was “serious and credible” evidence that Zuma had not been tax compliant during his years as president. The media groups argued there was a clear public interest in his records being released.
Sars fought this, arguing that the Tax Administration Act obliges it to keep taxpayer information secret.
But Davis has now ruled that a blanket secrecy provision “is not justified” and those clauses in the Tax Administration Act that stipulate this are unconstitutional.
He gave parliament two years to remedy the deficiencies in the legislation.
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