SARS’ recruitment drive has provided some insight into the state of affairs at the organisation. With applications now closed, SARS released the details around the roughly 88,000 applications it received, and the numbers paint an unsettling picture.

Two cases exhibit the extent of SARS’ powers, albeit from opposing perspectives. The first demonstrates the big role SARS can play in both recovering the proceeds of state capture and in bringing the looters to book, while the second shows how devastating SARS’ powers can be when not exercised within the legislative framework.