National Prosecution Authority is getting back on track – Bernard Hotz

Johan van Loggerenberg, the former Group Executive Head of the South African Revenue Service has spoken about the toll that he had to carry with the ‘rogue unit’ label. Not only did he lose his job, but the charges against him, SARS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Pillay and Andries Janse van Rensburg of illegally intercepting communications at SARS led to the deterioration of his health and Van Loggerenberg could no longer afford to pay for his mother’s home. Last week the criminal charges against the three were finally withdrawn by the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Shamila Batohi. The so-called ‘Rogue Unit at SARS’ was a narrative used by the state capturers since 2014 and became the weapon of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who is accusing Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan of illegally establishing the unit when he was SARS Commissioner. But, the fable of the rogue unit at SARS is slowly being deleted as the fightback against state capture gathers momentum. Bernard Hotz from Werkmans Attorneys who represented the three former SARS employees told Alec Hogg that the National Prosecution Authority was hopefully being restored under Batohi’s guidance. - Linda van Tilburg