The end of the Rogue Unit saga, plus 5 highlights from 'Vrye Weekblad'
Here's what's hot in the latest edition of the Afrikaans digital weekly
Johann van Loggerenberg and a group of his former SA Revenue Service colleagues, among them Pravin Gordhan, have been fighting for more than five years against allegations that they had formed a “covert” unit in the tax service.
Investigation after investigation found that this was untrue, but the saga continued.
High Court judge Sulet Potterill ruled on Monday that the Inspector General of Intelligence's report, compiled in October 2014, should be reviewed and set aside. The report had found that a "rogue unit" existed at the SA Revenue Service (Sars) while former commissioner Pravin Gordhan was in charge of the organisation.
This ruling might finally put the Rogue Unit saga to rest.
Van Loggerenberg was indeed in charge of an investigation unit at SA Revenue Service, but it was no secret unit, and was highly effective. His unit was responsible for rounding up tax dodgers.
Read more about the ruling, plus more news and analysis in this week's edition of Afrikaans digital weekly Vrye Weekblad.
The relief and anger was clear in Van Loggerenberg's Facebook post after the ruling: “I cannot believe that anybody in their right mind cannot by now see that the entire nation was fooled and that the entire saga was a complete and deliberate sham fed by many with overlapping nefarious motives and agendas. The evidence against them is overwhelming.”
But after more than five years of fighting against the flames that just wouldn't be doused he does not expect this to be the end that it should be.
“I don't believe it's over for a second though. The thing with the State Capture gang, Fightback brigade, EFF and their puppets, is that they are very predictable.
“I expect some sort of ludicrous legal challenge and more waste of money and lots of noise. No doubt.”
Read the full article in this week's Vrye Weekblad
Must-read articles in this week's Vrye Weekblad
FREE TO READ — WE DON'T NEED PUPPET MASTERS | The ANC sees Covid-19 as an opportunity to strengthen the state's hand in the economy. That would only be justified if service delivery improved.
TAKE ME HOME | Thousands of South Africans are stranded all over the world due to Covid-19. An SA expat in Canada made a plan to get a few hundred of them and a few Zimbabweans home.
WHAT IF WE COULD SEE CORONA? | Do you sometimes think about what we have lost and what we are still going to lose due to the coronavirus? We are living in a world of uncertainty in which people die all alone in hospitals.
THORNY ISSUES | In many parts of SA, there are more trees and less grass these days. This is a headache for farmers and other species. What led to this, and how can we fix it? We asked an ecologist.
FREE TO READ — AG PLEASE, DADDY! | Some people are already packing their picnic baskets for when the drive-in reopens.