The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) on Friday called for the aggressive pursuit of individuals and businesses who evade taxes, especially those who perpetuate tax fraud on a large scale.

Outa called on the South African Revenue Service (Sars) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (or the Hawks) to take action against former Steinhoff chairperson Christo Wiese, ENSafrica and Tullow Oil, who, according to an Amabhungane investigation, collectively owe Sars R3.9-billion.

Outa said it firmly believed that tax evasion as well as tax noncompliance by the private sector and wealthy individuals was threatening the economy.

“The very rich, including billionaire Wiese, Markus Jooste [Former Steinhoff CEO] and the directors of VBS bank need to pay back the money owing to South Africans,” said Outa.

Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage said individual and corporate enrichment through elaborate and complex tax evasion was a crime against South Africans.

Duvenage added that if it was true that Wiese has expanded his personal empire on the back of hard-working South Africans by evading his tax obligations to society, he should face the full might of the law.

Meanwhile the organisation strongly urged Sars and the Hawks to take action against him and other individuals who have defrauded the State and called for greater transparency on major tax fraud, particularly once these cases have been adjudicated.

“Those who evade taxes on such a large scale should be publicly named and shamed, so that government departments and businesses can avoid working with them in future,” concluded Duvenage.