Johann Rupert has seemingly issued an implicit threat against the South African Revenue Service (Sars), warning it not to “sabotage” him.
The billionaire businessman’s message to Sars is contained in an edited extract of Pieter du Toit’s book, The Stellenbosch Mafia, published in BusinessLIVE.
He said if things get worse in South Africa economically, he’s prepared to leave.
I’ve told some in government and the ANC in private as much: if Sars ever again tries to sabotage me … I have been by far the highest individual taxpayer in this country for the past 20 years.
Johann Rupert
Rupert added that his family’s companies pay the most amount of taxes from outside the country among companies that operate outside South Africa.
He lamented the fact that he is being taxed in South Africa as well as two more countries.
I pay tax overseas, I pay tax here, and they [Sars] want to argue over rubbish while, in actual fact, they owe me money,
Johann Rupert
He expressed his unhappiness as being labelled part of “white monopoly capital,” adding that his children live in England because they get “insulted” in South Africa.
Rupert refuted claims that he manipulates the Rand, adding that he has, in fact, been protecting it.
However, he said if he wanted to, he could influence currency traders overseas to trade in a way that negatively affects the Rand.