By BAKANG MOKOTO

17 March 2025- The Director of A John T/A, Albert Vervoer (83), briefly appeared before the Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court, facing 15 counts of contravening Section 234 (d) of the Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011. This comes after Vervoer allegedly failed to submit tax returns.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in North West, Sivenathi Gunya said it is alleged that, between March 2012 and June 2024, Vervoer allegedly failed to submit Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) and Value-Added Tax (VAT) returns, despite telephonic reminders from SARS on 1 April 2022, and subsequent written notices. Gunya said his court appearance follows the work of the Honey Badger Project, a collaborative initiative between the NPA, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI/Hawks), and SARS.

“The project seeks to enhance compliance by holding individuals and entities accountable for tax non-compliance through legal action. In court, Vervoer paid an admission of guilt fine of R15 000 for failure to submit tax returns.

“This is the third matter, where an accused has been brought before the court for failure to submit tax returns. The two other matters were finalized in Orkney Court, where the accused Bongani Mafuleni (58), the director of TFBS Funeral Parlour and Highway Supermarket, paid admission of guilt fines of R3000 and R19 000, respectively,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, has welcomed the finalisation of these cases and emphasized the importance of enforcing compliance with South Africa’s tax laws and ensuring that justice is upheld. Makhari said the NPA and DPCI reaffirm their commitment to addressing non-compliance and ensuring adherence to the law under the Honey Badger Project.
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