OVER 40 firearms, loads of ammunition, and luxury vehicles were some of the items confiscated from businesswoman and TV personality Shauwn Mkhize’s properties in Durban, Pietermaritzburg, and Johannesburg during a raid by the South African Revenue Service (Sars) this week.
While the information shared came from an impeccable source following the raid that took place on Tuesday, Sars spokesperson Siphithi Sibeko said he was yet to get the list of all items taken.
“Right now we are consolidating the register of everything that was found there,” said Sibeko.
He said the raid was part of Sars’s ongoing investigation of Mkhize’s non-compliance with the tax laws.
“Non-compliance includes everything such as owing Sars, not filing tax returns, filing wrongly, and misrepresentation during filing,” said Sibeko.
The source said Mkhize told police, who accompanied Sars, that the weapons were not hers, but belonged to a security company which belonged to a taxi boss who operated a fleet of long-distance taxis at the Durban Station taxi rank.
“The registered company address is in Coastlands, yet the 40 unlicensed firearms were found in La Lucia,” said the source.
He said a family member was taken for questioning after she told SARS and police officials that she was in charge of the house, but was later released.
“The guns that were recovered included rifles, shotguns, and handguns and ammunition of 2000 rounds.
“Durban North SAPS have taken the firearms for ballistic testing.
“There's one security guard who was arrested on Tuesday with six firearms which had been hidden under the sheets,” he said.
The security company and its owner could not be located for comment.
Sibeko said the law governing confidentiality between Sars and the taxpayer prevented him from divulging how much money Mkhize owed to the taxman, but it had been reported that she owed the taxman over R40 million.
Due to the same confidentiality, Sibeko could not divulge the brands of cars taken.
However, it was reported that among cars confiscated included a Lamborghini and a Rolls Royce owned by Shandi Trust and Royal AM.
A video of trucks towing two black cars along a highway in Johannesburg was shown on social media.
Other trucks on a video carrying eight luxury cars in a suburb are also believed to be linked to Mkhize.
“Among cars that were taken also include a Mercedes-Benz Maybach, BMW X4 or X6, Mercedes Benz-AMG G 63, Toyota Hilux Legend 50 and Mercedes-Benz Z-Class.
“All the things that were taken belonged to her because the preservation order said it must be taken,” said a source.
Sibeko said police would know better about weapons found at Mkhize properties.
“If there is ammunition, the police would be better people to respond,” he said.
However, national police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said police had no authority to comment on the raid that was conducted by Sars.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda did not respond to questions sent to him.
Mkhize also did not respond to questions sent to her via WhatsApp.
Mkhize, whose divorce from her estranged husband Sbu Mpisane was finalised on Monday, owns a palatial multi-story house in La Lucia, Durban north.
She also runs a farm at Maqongqo villiage outside Pietermaritzburg and has her own reality TV show
Another source said that she owned another house in one of the upmarket suburb in Johannesburg which was also raided together with the KwaZulu-Natal properties.
In a statement, Sibeko described the raid as “a significant development in our effort to combat tax evasion and criminal activity that undermines the country’s economy.”
“The KwaZulu-Natal Local Division of the Durban High Court granted a preservation order and a search-and-seizure warrant in the case involving the Commissioner for SARS versus Shauwn Mkhize and Others.
“Over the past few years, SARS has been diligently investigating and cracking down on the construction industry so that it complies with tax laws,” read the statement.
Among the businesses owned by Mkhize was the Zikhulise Group, which made billions of money constructing low-cost houses in some parts of the province. She also operated Zikhulise Maintenance and Transport, Zikhulise Auto Recoveries and Inyanga Trading.