Edward Kieswetter, commissioner of the South African Revenue Service. (Photo: Dwayne Senior / Bloomberg via Getty Images) 
This is not an easy thing to admit. But I quite like our taxman.
I mean, look: it’s not that I enjoy paying tax. Like you, I find it a very painful task.
But I do like the fact that there is at least one institution that works. And while institutions are not made or broken by one person, we know from horrible, bitter experience that leaders do matter.
But Edward Kieswetter has been able to take what was a broken institution and turn it around. I have always thought this matters more than just the fact that Sars works again, and is getting more money for the government.
It matters because the repairs to Sars show that state institutions can be fixed.
If Sars can be fixed, so can the National Prosecuting Authority, or Eskom, or Transnet, or whichever.
It kills the myth that all government institutions can’t work, or won’t work, or for some reason must not work. It means that every government worker can be asked: If Sars works, if Sars employees work, are you working?
I thought again about all of this when I saw the confirmation this morning that Kieswetter was going to leave Sars early next year. He served one term and was then asked by President Cyril Ramaphosa to stay on for another two years.
Considering his success, and how important Sars is to our country, it must be tempting to ask him to stay. To say that in fact Sars, and South Africa, need him to stay on.
And you could say that, as he has publicly promised to get a lot more money into the fiscus through improvements to tax enforcement, he should be given a chance to make good on his promises.
Reputation
His reputation is no accident. It is not just his important action at Sars, it’s how he’s managed the institution’s public face. It took me a while to notice, but he has made sure that he, and only he, speaks for the institution.
Before him, Sars would have a spokesperson who would do interviews. Doing countless interviews can be a thankless task. But it’s worked. It has personified Sars in his image.
It can be easy to forget this, but institutions can appear faceless, and that makes them easier to condemn. When they are represented by a person, particularly a person who can answer questions patiently and honestly, it is much harder to do that.
You might, at this point, while making the case for Kieswetter to stay on, point out that there are plenty of CEOs who have been at the top of their companies for years and years. If it’s good for them, why not him? After all, he is getting more money for all South Africans, and not just shareholders.
There are plenty of examples to point to. Jonny Copelyn has been in charge of HCI since 1997. Mustaq Brey has been running the Brimstone Investment Corporation for even longer.
If you have ever taken your car for a service at Combined Motor Holdings, you’re putting it in the hands of a company that has been led by Jebb McIntosh since 2001.
And of course, there are plenty of international examples. Jamie Dimon has been the boss at JPMorgan for 19 years.
And of course, there is my mandatory mention of Warren Buffett. He plans to step down as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of the year, after holding the post for 60 years.
Bad bosses
While anyone can stay on for too long, companies can remove bad bosses. It becomes obvious when things are going wrong – their shares start to slip and the market makes itself felt.
Also, when a company does badly, it is only the company and its shareholders that suffer.
I think it’s different in the state. And despite his incredible track record, despite his service to the nation, I’m glad Kieswetter is not staying on.
And particularly because it is Sars.
It has incredibly intrusive legal powers. It can go into your bank account to see who has paid you, and how much. Just being audited by Sars can ruin your life for a few months.
Now, I don’t for a moment think Kieswetter would give in to this kind of temptation. But it would set a precedent for someone else to stay on for too long. And that would be a problem.
I think there are two final acts of service for him to perform as Sars commissioner.
The first is to help with the transition. He himself has pointed to this.
The second is to leave the position, on time and as promised.
I have no doubt he will do this. And in the process, leave the most immense legacy.
For Sars.
And the rest of the state. DM
PS One of Edward Kieswetter's last chapters as SARS Commissioner will be written at The Gathering. Don't miss this chance to hear him live in Cape Town on Thursday, 28 August. Book your ticket here.