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The South African Revenue Service (Sars) has acted against Morgan Maumela’s mother, Mboneni Benedicta Maumela, over unpaid taxes of up to R40m as law enforcement tightens the noose on the family at the receiving end of dubious state contracts.Sars has slapped Mboneni Maumela with R39.9m in new assessments, including penalties and interest regarding the 2017-23 tax years. The tax agency has further told Mboneni that it has found prima facie evidence of fraud.Mboneni, a high-ranking official in the Limpopo department of health before her retirement in 2021, has since launched a legal challenge to Sars’ assessment. The huge tax bill levied against her by Sars raises serious concerns about her income in the assessed years, based on salaries paid to public servants at her level.News24 previously reported that Mboneni splashed R30m on two luxury Sea Point apartments in Cape Town, pushing the value of the family’s property portfolio north of R300m, as dodgy government tenders swelled their coffers.Sars declined to comment on its pursuit of Mboneni Maumela.“Sars is bound by the confidentiality provisions of the Tax Administration Act and, as such, cannot comment on the tax affairs of any specific taxpayer,” the agency said.“This includes confirming or denying the existence of investigations or any interactions between Sars and a taxpayer. Sars is therefore not in a position to comment on the allegations referred to in your question or on whether any case has been opened against the individual concerned.”Attempts to solicit a comment from Mboneni failed. Sars’ pursuit only adds to the Maumela family’s woes as law enforcement officers continue to circle the family.The investigation into corruption at Tembisa Hospital by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has uncovered three co-ordinated syndicates responsible for the looting of more than R2bn meant for healthcare.According to the SIU, the Maumela, Mazibuko, and X syndicates were involved, with the Maumela syndicate linked to alleged underworld enforcer Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. The Maumela syndicate stands accused of syphoning more than R816.5m from Tembisa Hospital through 1,728 purchase orders, bypassing standard procurement controls, the SIU says.The investigation into the Tembisa Hospital was preceded by a report by the slain former chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng department of health, Babita Deokaran.Deokaran was assassinated in 2021 after the report that outlined irregularities at the hospital’s supply chain management unit.Morgan has also been linked to North West businessman Suliman Carrim. The Madlanga commission has expressed its interest in understanding the relationship between Matlala, Morgan and Carrim, particularly regarding how the transactions among them were carried out.The NPA last month dealt the Maumela family a blow when the high court in Joburg ordered the final forfeiture of assets worth about R326m that are linked to the Maumela syndicate.Some of the properties and luxury cars seized include:A house in Zimbali Coastal Estate valued at R9.4m, a Bantry Bay home with a price tag of R88.5m and a Sandton property valued at R71.6m.Four Lamborghinis worth a combined R52m and a Bentley valued at R4.2m.Despite the civil action against Morgan and the so-called Maumela syndicate, of which he is said to be the controller, he has yet to face criminal charges.Former Idac head Andrea Johnson last month told the Madlanga commission that the high-profile investigations involving the Maumela syndicate and the looting of Tembisa Hospital did not fall within Idac’s mandate, as jurisdiction for those matters lay with the Hawks. Johnson was responding to questions about why Idac appeared to be pursuing Matlala while not investigating Morgan Maumela. “The Tembisa Hospital matter, in all of its forms, in however many legs of investigation it has, and whomever the persons and entities of interest are, had been referred around about 2020 or thereabouts by the SIU to the DPCI [Hawks]. “The DPCI has always been vested with this matter, the Tembisa Hospital, whether it’s skinny jeans, whoever they are, who’s behind the scenes, whether Maumela is involved or not, etc. All of it lies within the ambit of the DPCI,” Johnson testified.Business Day
