Following a recommendation by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public-Office Bearers, South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa has approved a 3% salary increment for public officials.
According to Times Live, a public gazette released earlier in the week showed that the President approved the salary increases to be backdated to April and will apply to every category of public officials including traditional leaders.
People employed by independent public institutions will also enjoy in the salary increment.
By this, Ramaphosa’s salary is expected to increase from R2.98m per annum to R3.08m. Deputy President David Mabuza will also have his yearly income will increase to R2.9m from R2.82m.
Ministers will now earn R2.47m per an um while their deputies will earn R2.04m.
Democratic Alliance leader, John Steenhuisen will also have his salary increased as leader of the opposition from R1.6m to R1.64m per annum.
Other leaders of minority parties including EFF leader, Julius Malema will also see a salary increment to R1.38m from R1.34m.
Other public officials will also have their salaries increased.
The Congress of South Africa Trade Unions have however frowned at the latest development and said it shows irresponsibility on the part of the government.
Matthew Parks, Cosatu’s Parliamentary Coordinator said; “We should be asking if we want this huge wage gap where ministers earn R200,000 a month whereas a cleaner, if they are lucky, will earn that in a year,”
“Have politicians been productive? Under their watch government is being run into the ground. State capture and corruption is ballooning, state-owned enterprises [are] collapsing and municipalities are being destroyed by mismanagement and corruption. Society is paying the price of the state,”
Cosatu had in the past tagged the recommendations “tone-deaf and embarrassing”.
“The working class is facing mounting social challenges and it’s about time political leaders show some solidarity with the suffering masses,” it said.
“Load-shedding, the rising cost of living, corruption and a stagnant economy have all happened under the watch and leadership of all political office bearers. They do not deserve the packages they currently earn, let alone an increase.”
Doctors and nurses in South Africa have complained on the failure of the government to increase their wages despite working from their fingers to the bones on containing the country’s hard-hitting COVID-19 pandemic.
The South African government had said it’s increasing MPs salary in order not to demoralise them.