President Cyril Ramaphosa has fired SA Revenue Services (Sars) commissioner Tom Moyane. The battle between Moyane and Ramaphosa now heads to court — the president has until Friday to respond to the application by the embattled tax boss to halt processes against him in the Constitutional Court. But Moyane’s axing is set to shore up taxpayer confidence, which was severely eroded during his tenure. His exit draws to a close a dark period in the tax agency’s history, which resulted in the exodus of dozens of experienced and skilled employees. Ramaphosa accepted the recommendation of Sars commission of inquiry chairman, retired judge Robert Nugent, that Moyane be axed, and on Thursday served him with a notice of termination of employment. The president acknowledged in the letter of termination that Nugent’s interim report, which recommends Moyane’s firing, painted a "deeply concerning picture" of the current state of the tax agency. Nugent’s interim report states that Moyane’s entry into...

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