Knowledge (XXG)

Arena Holdings v South African Revenue Service

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31: 403:"Taxpayer confidentiality versus access to information, freedom of expression, and the public interest in the tax affairs of a state president: Arena Holdings PTY LTD T/A Financial Mail & Another v South African Revenue Service & Others" 376:
for confirmation, and the respondents in the High Court sought to appeal the High Court judgment. The Constitutional Court heard argument on 23 August 2022, and it delivered its judgment on 30 May 2023.
365:; Zuma was named in papers but did not participate, and the Information Regulator, which is tasked with enforcing PAIA, filed notice of its intention to abide the court's decision. 549: 372:
ruled in the applicants' favour, declaring the relevant provisions of PAIA and TAA to be unconstitutional and invalid. The order of constitutional validity was referred to the
606: 350: 326:(PAIA). However, in March 2019, SARS refused his application on the basis that Zuma was entitled to confidentiality under PAIA under the Tax Administration Act, 2011 (TAA). 358: 323: 240: 202: 446: 611: 497: 354: 210: 197: 575: 373: 236: 41: 616: 471: 362: 523: 349:. In particular and in addition, they contended that this prohibition constituted an unjustifiable limitation on the constitutional 254:
Handing down judgment on 30 May 2023, the Constitutional Court bench was split five-to-four on the constitutional question. Justice
333:
seeking an order that would grant access to Zuma's tax records. His application was joined by his employer, Arena Holdings, and by
345:
to the extent that they prohibited SARS from disclosing tax information in circumstances in which such disclosure would be in the
385:
In February 2024, amaBhungane reported that, the judgment notwithstanding, SARS had denied it access to Zuma's tax records.
271: 342: 304: 298: 330: 318: 107: 621: 338: 287: 247:. The application emanated from attempts by journalists to gain access to the tax records of former President 30: 52:
Arena Holdings (Pty) Ltd trading as Financial Mail and Others v South African Revenue Service and Others
244: 626: 369: 232:
Arena Holdings (Pty) Ltd t/a Financial Mail and Others v South African Revenue Service and Others
424: 309: 402: 414: 259: 158: 142: 111: 550:"ConCourt opens door for public access to taxpayer information — in limited circumstances" 346: 138: 103: 292: 283: 134: 600: 442: 255: 150: 126: 341:
organisation. The applicants contended that PAIA and TAA were inconsistent with the
313: 84: 239:
on tax confidentiality. The court held that tax confidentiality provisions of the
334: 154: 146: 279: 248: 130: 428: 419: 243:
and Tax Administration Act, 2011 imposed unconstitutional limitations on
312:
by Zuma; those allegations emanated from various sources, notably from
322:. Thompson lodged his request to SARS in line with provisions of the 447:"The curious history of litigating for access to Zuma's tax records" 308:. He intended to use the tax records to investigate allegations of 329:
After SARS refused Thompson's internal appeal, he approached the
275: 173:
Kollapen J (Baqwa, Majiedt, Mathopo and Rogers concurring)
87:; 2023 (8) BCLR 905 (CC); 2023 (5) SA 319 (CC); 86 SATC 1 498:"Constitutional Court grills lawyers on Zuma tax record" 472:"Sars appeals to ConCourt to keep Zuma's tax secrets" 185: 181:
Mhlantla J (Madlanga, Mbatha and Tshiqi concurring)
177: 169: 164: 122: 117: 96: 91: 80: 72: 57: 47: 37: 23: 282:. Thompson was a financial journalist employed by 576:"SARS blocks access to Zuma's tax records, again" 524:"Media wins as court lifts blanket tax secrecy" 368:On 16 November 2021, Judge Norman Davis of the 270:In early 2019, Warren Thompson applied to the 101:Arena Holdings v South African Revenue Service 24:Arena Holdings v South African Revenue Service 359:Minister of Justice and Correctional Services 357:. Their application was opposed by SARS, the 8: 324:Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 241:Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 203:Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 401:Tredoux, Liezel Gaynor (29 December 2023). 607:Constitutional Court of South Africa cases 29: 20: 418: 274:(SARS) with a request for access to the 258:wrote the majority judgment and Justice 393: 7: 374:Constitutional Court of South Africa 237:Constitutional Court of South Africa 42:Constitutional Court of South Africa 14: 612:South African administrative law 355:right of access to information 351:right to freedom of expression 211:right of access to information 198:right to freedom of expression 1: 407:Journal for Juridical Science 272:South African Revenue Service 262:wrote a dissenting opinion. 286:, which owned various major 278:records of former President 218:Tax Administration Act, 2011 104:[2021] ZAGPPHC 7799 643: 331:High Court of South Africa 235:is a 2023 decision of the 108:High Court of South Africa 617:2023 in South African law 190: 28: 339:investigative journalism 288:South African newspapers 207:public interest override 16:South African legal case 476:The Mail & Guardian 420:10.38140/jjs.v48i2.7910 319:The President's Keepers 85:[2023] ZACC 13 245:access to information 194:Access to tax records 61:30 May 2023 370:Pretoria High Court 363:Minister of Finance 221:tax confidentiality 582:. 21 February 2024 478:. 30 November 2021 310:tax non-compliance 228: 227: 634: 622:2023 in case law 592: 591: 589: 587: 572: 566: 565: 563: 561: 546: 540: 539: 537: 535: 520: 514: 513: 511: 509: 504:. 23 August 2022 494: 488: 487: 485: 483: 468: 462: 461: 459: 457: 439: 433: 432: 422: 398: 290:, including the 260:Nonkosi Mhlantla 215:right to privacy 118:Court membership 112:Gauteng Division 68: 66: 33: 21: 642: 641: 637: 636: 635: 633: 632: 631: 597: 596: 595: 585: 583: 574: 573: 569: 559: 557: 548: 547: 543: 533: 531: 522: 521: 517: 507: 505: 496: 495: 491: 481: 479: 470: 469: 465: 455: 453: 445:(1 June 2023). 441: 440: 436: 400: 399: 395: 391: 383: 347:public interest 268: 224: 64: 62: 17: 12: 11: 5: 640: 638: 630: 629: 624: 619: 614: 609: 599: 598: 594: 593: 567: 541: 528:Financial Mail 515: 489: 463: 451:Daily Maverick 443:Vos, Pierre de 434: 392: 390: 387: 382: 379: 293:Financial Mail 284:Arena Holdings 267: 264: 226: 225: 223: 222: 219: 216: 213: 208: 205: 200: 195: 191: 188: 187: 183: 182: 179: 175: 174: 171: 167: 166: 162: 161: 124: 123:Judges sitting 120: 119: 115: 114: 98: 94: 93: 89: 88: 82: 78: 77: 74: 70: 69: 59: 55: 54: 49: 48:Full case name 45: 44: 39: 35: 34: 26: 25: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 639: 628: 625: 623: 620: 618: 615: 613: 610: 608: 605: 604: 602: 581: 577: 571: 568: 556:. 30 May 2023 555: 551: 545: 542: 530:. 31 May 2023 529: 525: 519: 516: 503: 499: 493: 490: 477: 473: 467: 464: 452: 448: 444: 438: 435: 430: 426: 421: 416: 412: 408: 404: 397: 394: 388: 386: 380: 378: 375: 371: 366: 364: 360: 356: 352: 348: 344: 340: 336: 332: 327: 325: 321: 320: 315: 311: 307: 306: 301: 300: 295: 294: 289: 285: 281: 277: 273: 265: 263: 261: 257: 256:Jody Kollapen 252: 250: 246: 242: 238: 234: 233: 220: 217: 214: 212: 209: 206: 204: 201: 199: 196: 193: 192: 189: 184: 180: 176: 172: 168: 165:Case opinions 163: 160: 156: 152: 148: 144: 140: 136: 132: 128: 125: 121: 116: 113: 109: 105: 102: 99: 97:Prior actions 95: 90: 86: 83: 79: 75: 71: 60: 56: 53: 50: 46: 43: 40: 36: 32: 27: 22: 19: 584:. Retrieved 579: 570: 558:. Retrieved 554:Sunday Times 553: 544: 532:. Retrieved 527: 518: 506:. Retrieved 502:Business Day 501: 492: 480:. Retrieved 475: 466: 454:. Retrieved 450: 437: 413:(2): 17–53. 410: 406: 396: 384: 367: 343:Constitution 328: 317: 314:Jacques Pauw 305:Sunday Times 303: 299:Business Day 297: 291: 269: 253: 231: 230: 229: 100: 92:Case history 51: 18: 335:amaBhungane 170:Decision by 73:Docket nos. 627:Jacob Zuma 601:Categories 389:References 361:, and the 280:Jacob Zuma 266:Background 249:Jacob Zuma 143:Mhlantla J 131:Madlanga J 127:Kollapen J 76:CCT 365/21 65:2023-05-30 429:2415-0517 381:Aftermath 159:Mbatha AJ 139:Mathopo J 135:Majiedt J 81:Citations 580:Business 316:'s book 186:Keywords 155:Baqwa AJ 151:Tshiqi J 147:Rogers J 586:6 March 560:6 March 534:6 March 508:6 March 482:6 March 456:6 March 178:Dissent 106:in the 63: ( 58:Decided 427:  302:, and 337:, an 38:Court 588:2024 562:2024 536:2024 510:2024 484:2024 458:2024 425:ISSN 353:and 157:and 415:doi 276:tax 603:: 578:. 552:. 526:. 500:. 474:. 449:. 423:. 411:48 409:. 405:. 296:, 251:. 153:, 149:, 145:, 141:, 137:, 133:, 129:, 110:, 590:. 564:. 538:. 512:. 486:. 460:. 431:. 417:: 67:)

Index


Constitutional Court of South Africa
[2023] ZACC 13
[2021] ZAGPPHC 7799
High Court of South Africa
Gauteng Division
Kollapen J
Madlanga J
Majiedt J
Mathopo J
Mhlantla J
Rogers J
Tshiqi J
Baqwa AJ
Mbatha AJ
right to freedom of expression
Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000
right of access to information
Constitutional Court of South Africa
Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000
access to information
Jacob Zuma
Jody Kollapen
Nonkosi Mhlantla
South African Revenue Service
tax
Jacob Zuma
Arena Holdings
South African newspapers
Financial Mail

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