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Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma is willing to intervene in the “strained” relationship between Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and South African Revenue Services boss Tom Moyane.
At a briefing on Friday, Moyane shed light on his relationship with the minister, saying that it was not cordial but strained.
As a result, Moyane said he requested Zuma to intervene or have an independent judge look at matters SARS is dealing with in order to "bring sanity for two organisations critical for economic growth".
“The president’s intervention is sought, he said he is looking into it. It is in his hands but certainly I am not sitting here and just allowing things to go the way they are going,” said Moyane.
No hand shakes
Moyane had said that Gordhan treated him as a “nonentity” in meetings, even refusing to shake his hands. He added that he had no problems with the minister and that the animosity was from Gordhan’s side.
WATCH:SARS Commissioner addresses leaks, the Guptas and loss of skills
He told media that he was prepared to meet with Gordhan and “thrash out” their differences.
“I do not have an ego problem but I will not be made to feel small, and I will not allow myself to be made to feel small.”
He further said that there was no effort by SARS to conceal information from Gordhan and that Treasury had all the information they required from the organisation. “The minister is not blind-sided by anything happening at SARS.”
Moyane on the Guptas
Referring to reports that SARS was serving the interests of a certain family, Moyane said that it was up to Gordhan to explain who that family is.
“I don’t know which family - that I cannot answer, I don’t belong to any family. I belong to my family and I don’t report to my wife with regards to things I do at work.”
“We [SARS] are apolitical, we serve the interests of South Africa,” said Moyane.
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