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The Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance, Mr Yunus Carrim, has noted with concern the release of a letter which was addressed to the Committee by the South African Revenue Services (SARS) to the media by a Democratic Alliance (DA) member of the Committee, Mr Alf Lees.

The letter is about the Committee’s distribution of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) report on Mr Jonas Makwakwa.

Yesterday, Mr Carrim sent the SARS letter and his reply to Committee members on behalf of the Committee, as he is obliged to do so.

Mr Carrim said while the correspondence obviously cannot be confidential in the circumstances, it was not necessary for the DA to release it and use it as a basis for a rather skewed media statement.

“Interestingly, Mr Lees released Commissioner Moyane’s letter but not my reply to him on behalf of the Committee, which does address the issues and clearly suggests that the Committee will not wilt in its necessary oversight role,” said Mr Carrim.

Upon enquiring, Mr Lees insisted that he released the DA statement because he was personally being maligned by the Commissioner.

Mr Carrim has raised a concern with Mr Lees’s assertion that the DA will continue to hold SARS to account as if the African National Congress (ANC) is not doing that.

“Now, on behalf of the Committee, I have no choice but to publish the SARS letter as well as my reply in order to get a fair and accurate picture,” said Mr Carrim.

The DA has been unnecessarily factional in its approach in order to score cheap political points.
 

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance, Yunus Carrim