Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has designated Professor Thabo Legwaila as acting Tax Ombud, for a period of three months, effective from October 6 to January 5, 2023.

Legwaila is currently the CEO at the Office of the Tax Ombud and will continue with these responsibilities.

The acting appointment follows the expiry of the term of office of the first and only Tax Ombud, Honourable Judge BM Ngoepe on September 30, who served three terms from 2013 until 2022, totalling nine years.

“The Minister is truly grateful for the sterling work he has done in establishing the Office of the Tax Ombud and steering it for nine years,” Godongwana says.

Since the inception of the Office of the Tax Ombud, Ngoepe spearheaded its goal to help improve the South African tax administration system and provide a free and fair avenue for resolving taxpayers’ complaints against the South African Revenue Service (Sars), National Treasury states.

Among the achievements of his tenure, Ngoepe established an automated complaints management system, enabled systemic investigations and comprehensive reporting when necessary and published the first Compilation of Taxpayers’ Rights, Entitlements and Obligations to promote taxpayer rights awareness in South Africa, it highlights.

Legwaila joined the Office of the Tax Ombud as CEO in April 2020. He was previously employed as Head of Tax: Africa at Citi Bank and, during that time, he also joined the University of Johannesburg on a part-time basis as Professor of Tax Law and held this position for eight years and nine months.

Legwaila holds a B luris from the University of Venda, Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws (LLM) degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand, a Postgraduate Diploma in Tax Law and an LLM degree from the University of Cape Town and Doctor of Laws from the University of Pretoria.

Godongwana says he is confident Legwaila will execute the responsibility of this position with diligence.

The Minister is starting the recruitment process for the appointment of the Tax Ombud in terms of Section 14 of the Tax Administration Act, 2011.