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A renewed battle over former president Jacob Zuma’s tax records has erupted after a student’s transparency request placed the Jacob Zuma Foundation at the centre of a heated legal and political showdown.
The Foundation has vowed to take immediate legal action if the South African Revenue Service (Sars) complies with an order to release the confidential documents.
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The clash intensified after the Information Regulator of South Africa (IRSA) announced last week that Sars must release Zuma’s tax records, following a request lodged seven years ago by an amaBhungane journalist.
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The Regulator briefed the media on Wednesday, 12 November 2025, stating that its investigation found Sars unjustified in withholding the files covering the tax years 2010 to 2018.
Advocate Lebogang Stroom said the public interest override applied in this case, making disclosure necessary to ensure transparency. IRSA said the requested records, including returns, assessments and correspondence, fall within information that must be released when public scrutiny outweighs privacy concerns.
AmaBhungane has previously argued that the records may expose inconsistencies in Zuma’s declared earnings and shed light on whether Sars gave him softer treatment compared to ordinary taxpayers.
Student’s Stand Reignites Long-Running Transparency Debate
The student whose inquiry revived the matter said she took action because she believes leaders must be held accountable, adding that ordinary South Africans deserve clarity on whether public officials are treated differently. Her request echoed the frustration of many young people who feel transparency in state institutions often depends on political sensitivities rather than principle.
Sars has been approached for comment and this will be added once a response is received.
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The student said her late father taught her the importance of accountability in public office, and she feels duty-bound to follow through. Her determination mirrors a growing sentiment among citizens who are concerned about whether powerful individuals can avoid scrutiny even when the public interest is at stake.
Zuma Foundation Warns Of Legal Action As ConCourt Ruling Resurfaces
The Jacob Zuma Foundation reacted sharply to the Regulator’s directive. Spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi dismissed the reports surrounding the order as “misleading, premature, and legally unsound.”
Manyi stressed that the Tax Administration Act (TAA) still prohibits Sars from releasing any taxpayer’s confidential information unless strict conditions are met, which he maintains do not apply to Zuma.
He insisted that even after the Constitutional Court’s Arena Holdings ruling, taxpayer confidentiality remains intact. According to Manyi, the Sars Commissioner is legally obliged to refuse disclosure if the confidentiality regime is threatened.
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He warned that any official who releases protected information could face criminal charges under the TAA.
The dispute stretches back to a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling that required Sars to reconsider its position after the Pretoria High Court ordered the release of Zuma’s tax records. The ConCourt found that a blanket ban on accessing tax records was unconstitutional in cases where compelling public interest exists.
Despite the ruling, Sars again refused amaBhungane’s renewed request in December 2023, stating that the documents did not indicate any wrongdoing. That refusal prompted amaBhungane to approach the Information Regulator, whose latest directive has now placed Sars, the Foundation and the former president back under intense national scrutiny.
With the Foundation threatening court action and transparency advocates insisting the public deserves answers, Zuma’s tax records remain at the heart of a high-stakes legal battle reinvigorated by a student unwilling to let the matter rest.
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