Lobby group AfriForum wants access to the ANC’s tax records, dating back to 1994

According to the Daily Maverick, the party owes SARS over R100 million in unpaid taxes, for employee tax and other charges.

AfriForum is demanding:

• The tax records and returns for the ANC from the year 1994 to today;

• The full amount in arrears, if any, which is due and payable by the ANC to SARS;

• An indication of the steps taken by SARS to collect this outstanding amount from the ANC;

• If SARS has not yet taken formal steps, to provide reasons for the failure to do so; and

• Provide an indication of whether the ANC enjoys preferential treatment in tax collection matters and, if so, the legal and rational basis for such treatment.

AfriForum said it previously requested similar information, but failed in its bid.

“In September 2021, AfriForum sent a letter to Edward Kieswetter, SARS commissioner, requesting details regarding the R102 million owed to SARS by the ANC. No answer was received. Therefore, AfriForum is taking the next legal step,” AfriForum said.

The ANC has, in recent years, struggled to keep a check on its finances, with the party delaying in paying its staffers’ salaries on time.

Mashatile on Tuesday said the ANC had tax issues when he took over the office in 2017. He said the first thing he did was to approach SARS, to develop a payment plan.

In a statement issued on Monday, the ANC and Mashatile denied reports of owing SARS.

Mashatile said the ANC had made a payment to SARS in February.

“Someone took information that was sent to the ANC treasurer by SARS last year. We are paying SARS. The last payment was on 28 February this year. Prior to 2018, we found a situation where tax compliance was not rigorous. I travelled to Brooklyn in Pretoria to meet with SARS to deal with those arrears. This issue that the ANC is a tax evader is not true,” Mashatile said in an interview with Talk Radio 702.