Former finance minister Trevor Manuel has threatened to take legal action if the EFF does not retract its “racist and libelous” statement regarding newly appointed SA Revenue Service (Sars) commissioner Edward Kieswetter. The EFF on Wednesday, before Kieswetter was announced as commissioner, said it would reject his “unlawful” appointment and would explore legal options to invalidate it. The party complained about the “secret” interviews for the top Sars post, saying they went against the principle of transparency. Manuel headed the interview panel for the post of Sars commissioner, which made a recommendation to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who made the final decision. The Sars Act states that the president appoints the commissioner for a five-year term. It does not prescribe a process. The EFF also made a number of allegations regarding the new commissioner’s relationship with Manuel and public enterprise minister Pravin Gordhan, who the red berets have been attacking as part of a f...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.