South Africa P.I.G.: SARS

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'Why I left South Africa'

There are views for and against SA as it stands now. Here is my 50 cents on the state of affairs. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlnPT7vu_DScC03C57c09ae9za99JdWJkQGpWueYtE8jpnPrsTbGipl5I7UQR54nPs6Qlp20mX0eBC4YLuBO9Bcz8kXJ0bfHwUPryWTVpOrY7WsUc30hNhW8AEUZ4NiCQqGry1JKfgOZ9/s1600/EXPATS.gif"></a>Pros: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xh144ieKf8YksdhWUrRjzj0L-eFMXhODscwHjus5wVvLzQrYOyQmprGSCQH5T-TbNNXa3XrRWuediyvU0ZRKZY5qTzHVKTnlgjHICKpOheA5kCXTq_7HTXarul9QMpK9BnuedLnEU2dJ/s1600/EXPATS.gif"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550750283061566210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xh144ieKf8YksdhWUrRjzj0L-eFMXhODscwHjus5wVvLzQrYOyQmprGSCQH5T-TbNNXa3XrRWuediyvU0ZRKZY5qTzHVKTnlgjHICKpOheA5kCXTq_7HTXarul9QMpK9BnuedLnEU2dJ/s400/EXPATS.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 250px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 170px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>1. Weather is generally great all over SA. 2. Freedom of Movement. 3. Great outdoors. 4. Big 5. 5. Huge opportunities. 6. Infectious SA humour and camaraderie. There are many more, and to each person they hold a different weighing of importance. Just so that you all know, I left SA, for these reasons... Cons: 1. Crime. Why is there a massive disparity between the police stats and the SAMA stats? Even so, the level of violence that goes with a house breaking etc. is off the scale, and don’t let them bull dust you, it is getting worse. (I have friends who own security companies, and their stats are all going up rapidly; why are the cops going down?) 2. Water. Why was the report by Dr Anthony Turton blocked by the CSIR? We have acid mine drainage and Government just set up a task team to “look into the matter” time has gone for this, action is required. 3. Sewerage. Government refused to release a report on the state of sewage, saying that it would cause panic amongst people, who didn’t understand. Yeah right. You have to love this minister, who says you only have a crisis when there is a country-wide outbreak of cholera. Just look to Haiti to see how well that idea worked! Read the <a href="http://www.dwaf.gov.za/Documents/GreenDropReport.pdf%20">report here</a>. 4. Corruption. There is almost zero appetite for tackling corruption. People get “redeployed” rather than fired and jailed. 5. Education. The highest per capita allocation in the world, and the results are dismal. I say no more. 6. Economy and social grants. People in SA need grants, that’s a fact, but you cannot have 4.5 million tax payers feeding 14 million (and counting) people. At some point, you have to give less to be able to give more. The tax base in SA is too small for all these election promises, SA has to become more prudent. 7. BEE. The idea was noble, the execution a disaster. For a white guy to get a shot at goals in SA he has to start a company. Once successful, he has to take on a BEE partner to get business, and the inevitable “SA handshake” Note, not all do business like this, but I have been around enough businesses to know this is de rigueur. 8. SARS at roadblocks. I have queried this with about 40-odd people who live in other countries, and they don’t know of any in those countries that have dedicated people from SARS/IRS etc at a roadblock. This tells me the fiscus is desperate for money. 9. Land reform. Why not use a partnership model? Who does Government expect someone to walk onto a farm and suddenly know how to run it profitably? The distribution plan is noble, and again, terribly executed. 10. Infrastructure. Not enough money to fix the roads. And oh yes, we pay taxes on our licenses, and then again on petrol, why then do we pay AGAIN for toll roads? Where is the money going to? 11. Plastic bags tax. Where is all that money people? 12. Quasi-militant unions. Utterances like, “we will make the country ungovernable” and “they will be war”, “we cannot guarantee we can control our members” wake up! This is a low-grade war. Since when do soldiers storm the Union Buildings? That is high treason people. We cannot afford to pay more for civil servants but they hold a gun to our head. Why do these people loot and trash the streets, cars and shops? Basal thuggery, endorsed by their handlers. There are many more points I can raise, but stand back a little and look at all the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle and SEE what your eyes and ears are telling your brain. It has been declining slowly for years. Forget the NP or the ANC. Who is running it matters not, how they are running it matters. Unless the so-called great unwashed realise they are getting a raw deal every 5 years, it will keep getting worse. I am grateful to my Father in heaven for the chance to leave. I will not throw stones when asked by people about my former country, but I will be candid about the facts. It is indeed, Cry The Beloved Country. I sleep now with open windows; don’t worry about the guy selling a paper at the traffic light (robot) or the lights behind me on the way home. SA citizens, you are going to have to stand up and demand accountability. Call me what you wish, but I am happier now than I have been in 20 years. My children have a genuine shot at goals. To those who choose to remain and those who cannot leave, I salute you.

'Why I left South Africa'

There are views for and against SA as it stands now. Here is my 50 cents on the state of affairs. Pros: 1. Weather is generally great all ov...

7:23 PM

Super Roadblocks a flagrant abuse of State Power

By Iain Robertson Super Roadblocks are our gift from Government over the Holiday Season. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0F_K0pO-QoPHdDaRrKsVkXkhy0lGR9GsAlUi-62JJNZr_rwHgrGldKYmeSSGQ6K3VeZPEtmSFB9hLN8TRwLfp8IiweisA8ZoY__smOpSU_o87N04dpBdfC-EbauQNUfiMCo2Oa1OmpbBV/s1600/Totalitarian-Demotivational.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcB1NupHpDUGq-vDKUi9dG5wa827ykxwRIJrkQQbiCVo7VJE1WjxTAHi5IhEZRiJbhv7Bd9fZWmcf_NuMuONUstIMptmTYaLxR63LdJgiFaNN4LWn0MQ__AgODmgsrOSpjVC26AuoUrSAX/s1600/police_state.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539000546045902802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcB1NupHpDUGq-vDKUi9dG5wa827ykxwRIJrkQQbiCVo7VJE1WjxTAHi5IhEZRiJbhv7Bd9fZWmcf_NuMuONUstIMptmTYaLxR63LdJgiFaNN4LWn0MQ__AgODmgsrOSpjVC26AuoUrSAX/s320/police_state.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>As usual drivers and their vehicles are liable to be checked, but this time passengers are to be checked as well. The roadblocks will be manned by the SAP and by other State Agencies looking for amongst other things tax evaders, illegal immigrants and dangerous goods. Is this a good thing in that a much broader spectrum of criminals will be arrested, or is it a flagrant abuse of State Power? General Bheki “Rambo” Cele told parliament last Friday that roadblocks are to be manned by combined teams from up to ten Government Agencies including the SAP, SARS, Home Affairs and Nature Conservation. The programme is unofficially set to start in Gauteng early next month and nationwide from December 4th. He has warned that tax dodgers, illegal immigrants and carriers of dangerous and illegal goods should brace themselves for a hard time. Another new concept he has introduced is that travellers without an acceptable ID will be fingerprinted, and the fingerprints used to check for any outstanding issues. I thought he might mellow after his honeymoon. No such luck. We normally expect an increase in roadblocks at holiday times, but this announcement takes the concept a whole yard further – longer traffic queues, lots more vehicles, lots more flashing lights, uniformed SAP officers strutting their stuff, pulling you over and interrogating you and your passengers, perhaps demanding fingerprints, certainly demanding ID books or proof of ID. Several groups of people dressed in civilian clothes in the background tapping your ID number into laptops. People searching your vehicle and rummaging around in your possessions. Scary. Especially at night. In the rain. If you are a woman alone. Road blocks are pretty inefficient in catching criminals. They are highly efficient at catching drivers with outstanding fines. That however, is not law enforcement or crime prevention, that’s revenue generation. Roadblocks on steroids will be no different, just longer queues and more aggravation. So why the upgrade of SAP vehicle focussed roadblocks to fully-fledged State fishing expeditions ? To be kind, it smacks of the usual government kneejerk reaction that something must be done, someone having what they think is a brilliant idea to do it, and some suit behind a desk not thinking through all the implications of implementing the brilliant idea. Not to be kind, it is a PR exercise, pure and simple. We will see Rambo grand-standing sometime in January or February showing what a fine fellow he is by catching so many criminals in December. To the cynical mind, it has the unholy stench of an impending totalitarian police state. Part of the insidious progression this Government is making towards total dictatorship and removal of basic human rights. Look at the Media Tribunal Bill and the Protection of Information Act as part of the same package. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for genuine criminals being caught. But I don’t think this is the way to do it. There are a few practical problems. Several of the activities are probably unconstitutional and will be challenged in court. Dennis Jackson of the Justice Project of South Africa says that there must be “reasonable suspicion” before any action can be taken against motorists or passengers at the roadside. Durban attorney Saber Jazbhay said the roadblocks would not be “constitutionally sound”. First, there is no easy definition of what constitutes reasonable suspicion. For example, are Home Affairs officials allowed to assess whether someone is potentially an illegal immigrant by the colour of their skin. There will be many claims against the State for unlawful arrest and detention if that is the level of criteria used as a definition of “reasonable suspicion”. Assuming that reasonable suspicion exists, what are the lawful grounds for arrest at a roadblock by the various Agencies. Are they in fact allowed to arrest you, or do they have to ask the SAP to do so ? Recently the Government inserted Sections 4A and 4B into the Customs and Excise Act conferring the power of arrest on Customs Officials and authorising the carrying of firearms for the purposes of enforcing the Customs Act. In other words, a Customs Officer can be deemed to be a Peace Officer as defined in the Criminal Procedures Act. Customs are part of SARS, so take that sports lovers. You can be arrested at gunpoint at a road block for not submitting a tax return. It will be a brave one who insists that only the original copy of a court issued arrest warrant is sufficient. Western Cape Transport MEC Robin Carlisle attempted to justify the involvement of highly specialised groups like SARS by stating that they had emergency vehicles and officials with powers of arrest. They therefore would help in targeting people who caused road fatalities. It’s the first time I hear that a major cause of our road carnage is not having a tax clearance form. Smooth tyres perhaps, drunk certainly, but irregularities in your tax affairs. Give me a break. I suspect the biggest problem, and there this is where M’Learned friends will make hay while the sun shines is that most Government databases are not accurate and not up to date, and probably not set up with the immediate updates necessary for use in this environment. As a result incorrect information will make the innocent look guilty and the guilty look innocent. Court cases will follow as surely as lawyers will hang around roadblocks. The second big problem is that with a few notable exceptions, the people involved do not have the qualifications or intention to act in a professional and impartial manner. It’ll be holiday bonus time. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to guess the option a father will take when presented with the two options of seeing his family spend Christmas in jail or coughing up some folding money. He may even suggest the spot fine option. Other officials, flushed with their temporary power will go on a cosmic ego trip and really make some people’s holiday. In summary, this looks once again like applying First World principles and policies with African precision. Whatever the real answer is, applying State Resources in this ham-fisted and heavy-handed way tramples on all the rights that those dear folk fought so long and so hard for.

Super Roadblocks a flagrant abuse of State Power

By Iain Robertson Super Roadblocks are our gift from Government over the Holiday Season. As usual drivers and their vehicles are liable to ...

9:04 AM

South Africans fleeced by taxes

Fin24.com reporter The sad reality is that South Africans are being nickled and dimed to death and there may be more to come, says Finweek in its latest cover story. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71nwIMBAk_9liKhZ37o24tdtHdIdFDQHDoZVB2a0nt6eHbEFcmxuSSy2OzUnT3JrC2tRF4iXNXKiVMO0AAA3w93Ot-9G1Cf9xfQeuAzGfwS8ELllvsnXdco-cxgIOmkOD-RzkN4UeEvc/s1600-h/tax_image2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401720099291804690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71nwIMBAk_9liKhZ37o24tdtHdIdFDQHDoZVB2a0nt6eHbEFcmxuSSy2OzUnT3JrC2tRF4iXNXKiVMO0AAA3w93Ot-9G1Cf9xfQeuAzGfwS8ELllvsnXdco-cxgIOmkOD-RzkN4UeEvc/s400/tax_image2.jpg" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" /></a>Tax experts reckon South Africans are among the most heavily taxed people almost anywhere on earth. In fact, Finweek calculated that some South Africans pay a tax rate of 60% even though the official top tax rate - known as the marginal tax rate - is 40%. This is owing to a myriad of hidden taxes. Hidden taxes include the cost of health and security; travel taxes such as airport and toll road levies; import taxes; and the 10% property rate tax and VAT payable on water and electricity. This is one of the findings contained in Finweek's latest cover story which also examines the viability of a potential increase in personal tax as mooted by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in September. Such is the burden on South African consumers that individuals expect to pay more tax than first budgeted in the 2009 budget and certainly more than corporates - much more, in fact. According to the budgeted figures released in February this year for the financial year ending in February 2010 it was estimated individuals and trusts would contribute R207.5bn (of total tax revenue of R659.3bn), whereas companies were budgeted to contribute R160bn. Finweek said that currently, 25% of individual taxpayers pay 75% of all personal income tax, which contributes close to 30% of total revenue to the fiscus. "That's massive in anybody's terms and needs. Individual taxpayers are also subject to value added tax (VAT), capital gains tax (CGT), donations tax, estate duty, transfer duties and un-certificated securities tax (UST), just to name a few. "That takes their contribution way above 60% and an individual tax burden equal to more than half of annual personal consumption spending," Finweek said. Carolyn Freeman, director of International Executive Services at KPMG, said that the marginal rate of tax in South Africa takes effect at a relatively lower income level than many other countries. As a result, individuals in South Africa remain among the highest taxed worldwide. That means South Africa's marginal tax rate - the highest rate that can be paid - is applied at a lower income group in South Africa than that of other countries. Said Freeman in an interview with Finweek: "So if I get paid R50 000 here in South Africa, I'll be taxed 40% on that, whereas if I were paid the equivalent in US dollars I'd only be taxed 28.9%." - Fin24.com

South Africans fleeced by taxes

Fin24.com reporter The sad reality is that South Africans are being nickled and dimed to death and there may be more to come, says Finweek ...

4:48 AM

South Africa P.I.G.

'Why I left South Africa'

Super Roadblocks a flagrant abuse of State Power

South Africans fleeced by taxes

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