The South African Revenue Services had made an extraordinary statement when it released details on whether President Cyril Ramaphosa’s companies are tax compliant.

News24 investigative journalist, Kyle Cowan says that it’s highly unlikely that the revenue service would make such details public under normal circumstances.

Cowan was speaking after the Public Protector’s preliminary report on the Phala Phala scandal was leaked. But he notes that the SARS statement was lacking details that could explain how and why foreign currency was being kept at the Phala Phala game farm.

He also notes that it’s unlikely that the final Phala Phala report would change much from its preliminary form. While the report has drawn criticism for not addressing key concerns, Cowan has backed up the Public Protector, saying that the office was constrained by the limits of the Public Protector Act.

This as they could not investigate the concerns around the robbery, the alleged kidnapping and bribery that followed the theft at Phala Phala in February 2020.

The preliminary report has essentially laid blame on the President’s head of security for the events that unfolded at the game farm.