SARS Hits Joburg Taxi Boss Bafana Sindane With R17 Million Tax Bill — Lawyers On Standby

On Tuesday morning, SARS investigators entered a Johannesburg legal chamber with papers that have sent shockwaves through the taxi industry. These documents included an R17 million unpaid tax bill that had been officially served on Bafana Sindane, a prominent figure in the sector. This is one of the biggest revenue enforcement actions hit by a commuter transport figure in Gauteng this fiscal year. Through his lawyers, Sindane—whose name carries significant weight across multiple East Rand routes—received the paperwork earlier that day.

A lengthy audit of Sindane’s individual and company tax affairs covering various assessment periods led to the issuance of the multi-million-rand demand, according to the South African Revenue Service. Authorities claim that this sum represents his unpaid taxes, accrued interest, and statutory penalties, which are determined by comparing his declared and assessed income from all of his registered businesses. Sources say that SARS’s route-based operating income and ancillary property holdings were investigated, but the agency has not said which exact entities were under scrutiny.

Regardless of a taxpayer’s public profile or commercial standing, SARS spokesperson Siphithi Buthelezi assured reporters that the agency will continue to pursue outstanding obligations. Buthelezi made the statement, “Compliance is non-negotiable across every sector of our economy,” without going into detail about whether criminal referral proceedings were being considered. As of the publication deadline, Sindane’s legal counsel had not provided any additional comment, although they had acknowledged receiving the notice.

During the late 2010s, when the minibus sector was undergoing a tumultuous restructuring, Sindane steadily expanded his footprint across the Ekurhuleni corridor by consolidating permits and tightening his operational grip. Taxi operations have been under close examination by revenue authorities since 2022 due to the ongoing underreporting issues that have been highlighted in multiple compliance reviews. A briefing before the Gauteng transport committee brought up his name, but no charges were ever brought forward as a result of that.

A younger driver, out of breath and wearing dusty navy overalls from a long morning shift, stood outside the chambers where the notice was handed over, visibly distressed as he scrolled through a voice note on his phone. “Supervisors like that don’t receive letters like that,” he whispered as he put the gadget away. “It seems like things have changed drastically now.”

Who knows if Sindane will take the case to the Tax Court to dispute the full R17 million, try to negotiate a structured settlement, or let the situation go to asset seizure. Who knows if other prominent figures in the industry are getting ready to face similar challenges before this audit cycle ends.