Yanga Mputa has been appointed as the new Tax Ombud by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, effective from 1 July 2023. Mputa succeeds Professor Thabo Legwaila, who held the position in an acting capacity since October 2022. Prior to Legwaila, retired judge Bernard Ngoepe served as South Africa’s first tax ombud for three terms.
Mputa brings a wealth of experience to the role, having joined the National Treasury in 2014 as the chief director for the department’s legal tax design unit. In this capacity, she played a crucial role in the development of annual tax legislation, including the design, drafting, and negotiation of tax treaties. Mputa is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa and previously served as a tax specialist at the South African Revenue Service (SARS) before joining the Treasury.
Throughout her career, Mputa has collaborated closely with the finance committees of Parliament and worked alongside National Treasury and SARS counterparts to finalize tax legislation. Her expertise extends to international tax matters, as she has served as the South African representative on the G20 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)/G20 steering group of the Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) since 2017.
Finance Minister Godongwana expressed confidence in Mputa’s ability to excel in her new role and urged her to act in the public interest, ensuring fair treatment for all taxpayers. He emphasized the importance of maintaining public trust in the tax system and highlighted the Office of the Tax Ombud’s role in promoting compliance while safeguarding taxpayers’ rights.
Mputa’s qualifications include BProc and LLB degrees from the former University of Transkei, an LLM degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, an MCom in International Tax from North-West University (Potchefstroom), and a Postgraduate Diploma in Tax Law from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. With her extensive knowledge and background, Mputa is well-positioned to contribute to an equitable and efficient tax administration in South Africa.
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