Gordhan must stop attacking Sars leadership - union

Cape Town - The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has lashed out at Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, while defending Sars boss Tom Moyane.

"It is our call that Minister Gordhan must desist his appetite of being a ‘media sweetheart’ with unjustified attacks on Sars leadership as these actions are not in the interest of the country that he claims to love or put first‚ because these actions have the potential to derail the mandate of SARS, which is to collect all revenue due to the state, and ensuring tax compliance‚" Nehawu said in a statement on Friday.

The statement that was issued by Nehawu's national coordinator, Sibusiso Valashiya, who is also a Sars employee.

The union took issue with what it called a "stunt" by Gordhan who laid into a senior Sars employee for writing a letter to Business Day, claiming rating agencies “are nothing but organised economic gangs" and must be seen in the context of “fear-mongering colonialism”.

Nehawu is of the view that Gordhan's criticism aims to tarnish the work done by the tax collecting agency led by Commissioner Moyane.  It re-iterated its unwavering support for Moyane.

"We also call on all Sars employees not to be deterred in their chief mandate by these negative energies that seeks to undermine the great work done by all at SARS but continue working tirelessly in ensuring that SARS collect all the revenue due to the state and enforcing tax compliance as we take South Africa to next trajectory," it said.