Rogue tells the story of a once-inconspicuous unit in the SA Revenue Service (Sars). It can be seen as an inaugural study of state capture in contemporary SA.The tale is given additional heft because it is written by insiders: Johann van Loggerenberg, former head of investigations at Sars, and Adrian Lackay, the tax authority’s former spokesman.Both had been employed by Sars for more than a decade when allegations of a "rogue" investigative unit first emerged.These claims soon grew increasingly extravagant — including that members of the unit ran a brothel, spied on President Jacob Zuma, intercepted taxpayers’ communications and conducted illegal covert investigations. In the end, both Van Loggerenberg and Lackay lost what had been successful careers.At its height, the unit consisted of 26 specialised investigators, largely focused on organised crime and mostly reporting to Van Loggerenberg.Here Van Loggerenberg argues why, contrary to the initial accusations, Sars was fully entitle...
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