Cyril Ramaphosa doesn't blink in standoff with Tom Moyane

Tom Moyane's termination as SA Revenue Service (Sars) commissioner will not be reversed, President Cyril Ramaphosa has said. 

In a terse letter, responding to Moyane's demand to Ramaphosa to reverse his termination of service, the state attorney said it had been advised that the president would not withdraw the notice to Moyane. 

Ramaphosa fired Moyane on November 1, after months of back and forth with the embattled former tax boss fighting the disciplinary process against him as well as the Sars commission of inquiry to get to the bottom of a roughly R100bn hole in revenue collection over the past four years, which happened under Moyane's watch. 

Ramaphosa had agreed with a recommendation by retired judge Robert Nugent, chairing the Sars inquiry, to fire Moyane. Acting Sars commissioner Mark Kingon will continue in the role until Ramaphosa makes a permanent appointment.

In response to Ramaphosa's decision, Moyane gave the president until Friday last week to reinstate him, arguing that his axing was unlawful. 

He again threatened to approach the courts for urgent relief should Ramaphosa fail to reinstate him to his post. However, Ramaphosa did not bite, simply informing Moyane's attorney through the state attorney that he would not withdraw Moyane's axing. 

Moyane is likely to approach the courts in a bid to get his job back. He had been on suspension with full pay for seven months.