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Daily news update: Fraudulent tax claims, e-toll price hikes and Malema back in court
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Daily news update 04 March
Sars detects billions in fraudulent claims from taxpayers
The South African Revenue Services (Sars) said it has detected R30 billion in fraudulent claims from taxpayers.
This was revealed by Sars Commissioner Edward Edward Kieswetter on Thursday, as he unpacked the 2022/23 National Budget presented by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in Parliament last Wednesday.
The tax commissioner said Sars has processed almost three and a half million VAT returns in 2022.
Kieswetter said there is non-compliance level because of negligence and that the public deliberately seeks to defraud Sars.
“Three and a half million VAT returns, when we look at that, it has credit returns of R266 billion. If we had to do nothing, we would pay out R266 billion Rand to taxpayers.
Spent cartridge linked to rifle seized from Malema bodyguard’s company, court hears
A SA Police Service (Saps) ballistics expert has confirmed a spent cartridge found at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane after Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema allegedly fired a gun into the air at a rally there in 2018, came from one of the firearms seized from his bodyguard’s company.
Lieutenant-Colonel Mandisi Mgwadleka took the stand in the East London Magistrate’s Court on Monday, when the trial of Malema, who along with his bodyguard Adriaan Snyman is facing criminal charges in connection with the incident, got into the third day.
He told the court he had been able to link a spent cartridge found by a cleaner after the rally to a Norinco rifle seized from Snyman’s company.
City of Joburg staffers threaten to go to court over looming dismissals
City of Joburg employees facing dismissals over their fixed term contracts that were converted to permanent by the previous administration are mulling taking the city to court.
At least 130 employees said they face the chop after the city sent them letters notifying them about a decision to rescind their permanent appointment, following a council resolution last week. The city deemed the converted contracts as an illegal act by the previous ANC-led mayoral committee, which it said had no powers to do so.
The letters, seen by The Citizen, warned that the appointments from fixed term to permanent contracts constituted an “unlawful gratification in law” and further requested employees’ “assistance to mitigate such continued employment” in order to prevent possible corruption.
No more backdoor home sales after court victory
Lawyers representing consumers facing home repossession have applauded a recent case in the Gauteng High Court that blocks lawyers trying to side-step court procedures by selling these homes for less than their market worth.
The February 2022 ruling by Judge Fisher slapped down the practice of banks’ lawyers approaching judges in chambers in an attempt to circumvent the reserve (floor) price requirement.
Until 2018, banks were frequently selling repossessed homes at well below market price, giving rise to suspicions that syndicates operating in the banks and sheriffs’ offices were engineering these sales so they could pick them up for a song. Some were sold for as little as R10, often leaving the defaulting borrower with a huge outstanding debt to the bank, and with no chance of receiving any equity built up in the home.
Zulu throne to remain vacant until specified cultural rituals are performed
The Zulu Royal Family says until such a time that the core of the royal family members and the Zulu Royal Council sits to appoint a new King, the AmaZulu throne remains vacant.
The family noted the judgment handed down by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Wednesday, giving the greenlight for the coronation of Prince Misuzulu kaZwelithini as the new king of the Zulu nation.
Judge Isaac Madondo dismissed with costs an application lodged by late Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini’s brother, Prince Mbonisi Zulu, to stop the coronation from going ahead, after ruling that Prince Misuzulu was the “undisputed successor to the throne”.
Judge Madondo also dismissed with costs an application by Zwelithini’s first wife, Queen Sibongile Dlamini-Zulu, claiming 50% of the king’s estate.
Treasury still undecided on scrapping, as e-toll price hikes come into effect
Amid uncertainty on whether e-tolls will be scrapped or not, motorists in Gauteng who do pay their e-toll accounts will have to pay more following a price hike.
The South African National Road Agency Limited (Sanral) last week announced news that it will make adjustments to the annual toll tariffs, including those of e-tolls.
The new tariffs – effective from Tuesday, 1 March – has increased by 5% in line with the consumer price index (CPI).
The increases were gazette and published earlier in February by Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula.
