SACP leader Solly Mapaila in the soup for not paying personal taxes

Politician given 10 days to pay what he owes taxman

- By Ngwako Malatji

SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila has been slapped with a tax bill of more than R700000 by the South African Revenue Service (Sars) for failing to pay his personal taxes.

News that Mapaila's tax books are in shambles came to the fore after Sars wrote him a letter last month demanding the staggering quantum and threatening to apply for a default judgment against him if he does not settle the bill.

According to the letter, which we have seen, Mapaila initially owed Sars more than R760000, but the amount ballooned to over R800000 after the debt incurred interest of over R100000.

But this amount later decreased to just over R760000 for unclear reasons.

Before transmitting the letter, Sars wrote another letter of demand last month to Mapaila, a fierce critic of the government of national unity because it includes the DA, pleading with him to settle the bill.

“According to the records of the South African Revenue Service, you have failed to pay your tax debt for one or more tax years and tax periods.