Eight years' worth of former president Jacob Zuma's tax records could be in the hands of journalists within the next 10 days, after the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ordered the SA Revenue Service (SARS) to hand them over "in the public interest".

But this is highly unlikely to happen any time soon, given how intensely SARS has battled to keep Zuma's tax records under wraps. Not, it says, because of who he is - but because of the far-reaching implications the disclosure of taxpayer information could have on its ability to collect revenue.

In a ruling SARS is certain to seek to appeal, Judge Norman Davis completely dismissed that argument.