Gordhan calls Sars employee's ratings rant irresponsible

Cape Town - Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan laid into a senior employee at the South African Revenue Service (Sars) for writing a letter to Business Day, albeit in his personal capacity, who lashed out at ratings agencies and the ruling party.

In the letter published on BusinessLive in November, Luther Lebelo claimed rating agencies “are nothing but organised economic gangs" and must be seen in the context of “fear-mongering colonialism”.

He also lashed out at the ruling party for caring more about rating agencies’ opinions than poor, black South Africans. 

Lebelo is also the head of communication and media at the Progressive Professionals Forum (PPF), an organisation led by former government spokesperson Mzwanele (Jimmy) Manyi.

In response to a question posed by the DA’s David Maynier about whether Sars authorised Lebelo to write the letter, Gordhan said Sars had not done so, but also did not intend on disciplining Lebelo, as he wrote the letter in his personal and private capacity. 

Gordhan, however, said as far as he is concerned Lebelo as a “senior and influential manager in Sars, should not be commenting on a sensitive and serious matter such as ratings in the public domain”. 

He further said that Lebelo displays a “complete lack of understanding of the role of borrowing money both locally and from foreign lenders in helping to finance our social programmes for the poor”.   

“It is the very same poor people and the vulnerable middle class South Africans, the vast majority of whom are black, who will be affected by rising interest rates and prices should the South African sovereign lose its investment grading,” Gordhan said. 

Lebelo’s letter, Gordhan said, indicates clearly that he writes in two capacities – one of which is Group Executive of Employment Relations at Sars and communications person at the PPF. 

“Surely, he cannot be allowed to attack the very government that pays his salary on a matter that is of importance to all South African’s – except those who pursue an ignominious agenda against the national interest – with impunity?” 

Gordhan said the management at Sars should account for the lack of action in the Lebelo matter.