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Cape Town – Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Friday that his relationship with SA Revenue Service (Sars) Commissioner Tom Moyane is a “work in progress”.
Relations between the two have been strained as Moyane has been accused of purging Sars executives that helped Gordhan transform Sars into the respected institution.
Moyane is also allegedly behind the probe into the alleged illegal “rogue” unit, which Gordhan said this week was lawfully created when he was at the helm of Sars.
This year, Moyane openly defied Gordhan’s command that all restructuring plans at Sars be halted.
It was reported in February that Gordhan threatened to resign if Moyane wasn’t fired, after the Hawks sent him questions about the unit on the eve of his budget speech.
He answered those questions this week.
Moyane hit out at “negative media reportage” against him on Friday at a joint press conference with Gordhan.
He criticised those who called him incompetent and incapable, and who questioned his personal integrity.
Speaking about his “work in progress”, Gordhan said it was Treasury’s firm view that they must behave like professionals “because we are professionals”.
“We need to do what is in the national interest, which should be our absolute priority,” he said.
“These are the lessons that South Africa has been learning, which is the importance of functional, credible and well running institutions.”
