UMnuz Thabo Mbeki, owayengumengameli waseNingizimu Afrika, uveze imicabango yakhe ngezinkinga ezibhekene neSouth African Revenue Service (SARS), ezilandela izinkinga zayo kusukela ehhovisi likaMengameli Jacob Zuma. Ekhuluma eNyuvesi yaseNingizimu Afrika, uMbeki uxoxe ngezindaba ezihlukene zezenhlalo nezombusazwe, esebenzisa imibiko yekhomishana yakwaNugent kanye nophenyo lwe-state Capture ukukhombisa ukuthi izinqumo zamabomu ziholele kanjani ekubukelweni phansi kwe-SARS. Lolu phenyo, obeluholwa yijaji eselathatha umhlalaphansi, uRobert Nugent, beluhlose ukubhekisisa ukuphathwa kwentela kanye nokuphatha kwaSARS.

Njengoba izingxoxo ziqhubeka, i Iphathi ye-MK imemezele isinqumo sayo sokuqoka uJacob Zuma, 81, njengongenele ukhetho lukamengameli okhethweni lukazwelonke nolwezifundazwe obeluhlelelwe uMeyi 29. UZuma, esephathe amahlandla amabili njengomengameli, kamuva wachithwa yi-ANC.

UMbeki ugqamise ukuxhumana phakathi kwabantu abahola iqembu le-MK—iqeqebana elihlukene ne-ANC—nalabo abasolwa ngokuzama ukwenza buthaka iSARS. Ugcizelele ukubaluleka kwalolu lwazi kubantu baseNingizimu Afrika njengoba belungiselela ukuvota.

Ecabanga ngeminyaka engu-30 edlule yentando yeningi, uMbeki uveze izikhathi zokukhungatheka, ikakhulukazi isikhathi sikaZuma sokubusa, lapho abakwa-SARS baqala ukuntengantenga emisebenzini yabo yokuqoqa imali, okuhluke kakhulu ekusebenzeni kwayo kwangaphambili. Lokhu kwehla kwenze uMengameli Cyril Ramaphosa wasungula ikhomishini kaNugent ezophenya ngembangela yokungenzi kahle kwalesi sikhungo.

“Ikhomishana yakwaNugent ithi, ngifingqa, abanye abantu bathatha isinqumo sokucekela phansi isikhungo…Manje lokho kuyisitatimende esimangalisayo ngoba u-Sars unesibopho sokukhokha u-95-98% wemali engenayo yombuso. Nicekela phansi iSars, nicekela phansi umbuso wentando yeningi. Futhi nokho kwakukhona abantu abathatha isinqumo sokwenza lokho kanye. Umbiko unikeza imininingwane eminingi ngokuthi yini eyenzekile ukucekela phansi lezi zikhungo.”

UMbeki waphikisa ngokuthi labo ababukela phansi i-SARS babemelene kakhulu nombuso wentando yeningi waseNingizimu Afrika, ngenhloso yokuwenza buthaka ngokuphuca umthombo wawo wokuqala wemali engenayo. Ubalule nekhomishini yophenyo eholwa yiNhloko yamaJaji uRaymond Zondo, eyafaka uZuma emizamweni yokuhlakaza uSARS.

“Futhi [umbiko wophenyo] usho okumnyama nokumhlophe ukuthi uJacob Zuma ubeyingxenye yohlelo lobuholi lokucekela phansi iSars. Akuwona umbono wami lowo, ngikutshela ukuthi ithini ikhomishini kaZondo. Lokho kuyindida ukuthi ungaba nomengameli weRiphabhulikhi yaseNingizimu Afrika abambe iqhaza ohlelweni lokucekela phansi isikhungo esimnika izindlela zokubusa.”

UMbeki uphinde wathinta umongo obanzi wokuguqukela kweNingizimu Afrika entandweni yeningi ngo-1994, waphawula ukuthi akuzona zonke izakhamuzi ezabheka lolu shintsho njengoluhle. Abanye bakubona njengokuhlulwa. Lo mbono, ngokusho kukaMbeki, ubalulekile ekuqondeni isimo samanje sesizwe kanye nokukhetha okubhekene nabavoti okhethweni oluzayo.

Ugqugquzele abantu baseNingizimu Afrika ukuthi bahlole ngokujulile iminyaka engama-30 edlule yentando yeningi futhi bacabangele lezi zithombe lapho bethatha isinqumo sokuthi ubani abazokweseka okhethweni. UMbeki uzwakalise ukukhathazeka ngokuthi abantu baseNingizimu Afrika bangase bangahlanganyeli ekuqondeni okubumbene ngobunjalo bezwe labo kanye nezinselelo, okuholela ezindleleni ezihlukene zokubhekana nezindaba zikazwelonke.