President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the judgment in the Tom Moyane matter as a step towards stabilising Sars 'at a time when efficient revenue collection and tax justice is vital to economic recovery and the restoring of confidence'.

Following the decision by the North Gauteng High Court to uphold the firing of former Sars commissioner Tom Moyane, President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will soon initiate a process to appoint a new commissioner.

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko, said the president welcomed the decision.

"President Ramaphosa has welcomed the judgment as a step towards stabilising Sars at a time when efficient revenue collection and tax justice is vital to economic recovery and restoring the confidence of corporate and personal taxpayers in this important public institution," she said.

Ramaphosa fired Moyane in November after a recommendation by the commission of inquiry into governance of the revenue service and tax administration, headed by retired judge Robert Nugent.

"Mr Moyane subsequently engaged in litigation to overturn his dismissal, to interdict the appointment of a new Sars commissioner and to prevent the commission of inquiry from submitting its final report. The North Gauteng High Court dismissed Mr Moyane’s application with punitive costs today [Tuesday]," Diko said.

Judge Hans Fabricius said in his judgment that the matter was not urgent and dismissed Moyane's bid to block the Nugent commission's final report.

Moyane’s lawyer, Eric Mabuza, has since indicated that they may appeal against the ruling, but an attempt to approach the Constitutional Court on the same matter was dismissed last month.