South Africa’s politicians might seem to be ‘living it up’, but they often ‘struggle to make ends meet’, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The president made these remarks this week after signing off on a 2.8% increase for ordinary MPs, on top of their million-plus rand packages, according to News24.
Ramaphosa was quoted as saying MPs had been ‘cut to the bone because they have had no meaningful increase for quite a while’.
‘It may seem to many people that they are living it up and they have a very good life – believe you me, it is not.
‘I have seen Members of Parliament, who publicly seem to be living it up, but they are not. The work we take on or impose on them as MPs is quite costly, many of them don’t end up making ends meet.’
According to BusinessInsider, the following are the salaries of cabinet ministers, MPs, and other public office bearers, approved in April 2020:
The speakers of the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), and the deputy president: R2 825 470
Cabinet ministers: R2 401 633
Provincial premiers: R2 260 409
Deputy ministers, the deputy speaker of the NA and deputy chair of the NCOP, provincial speakers and provincial executive council members: R1 977 795.
Deputy provincial speakers, majority chief whips in the NA and NCOP, the leader of the opposition in Parliament, and the parliamentary counsellors to the President and deputy president: R1 600 467.
Chairpersons of committees in Parliament, and majority-party chief whips in provincial legislatures: R1 495 755.
Committee chairs and the leader of the opposition in provincial legislatures: R1 346 235.
Leaders of minority parties, the deputy chief whip of the majority party, and the chief whip of the second-largest party in Parliament: R1 346 232.
Provincial deputy committee chairs, minority party leaders, the deputy chief whip for the majority and the chief whip of the second-largest party: R1 266 567.
Other whips in Parliament: R1 249 236.
Members of the NA and delegates to the NCOP, and in provincial legislatures the counsellors to kings and queens, and whips: R1 137 933.
Members of provincial legislatures: R1 101 348.
[Image: GovernmentZA]