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 Zuma downsizes salary hikes
    November 13 2009 at 11:42AM Get IOL on your
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By Xolani Mbjanwa
Political Bureau

President Jacob Zuma yesterday heeded the concerns of his finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, and awarded a 7 percent salary increase to elected public office bearers instead of the 8 percent recommended by the Independent Commission on Remuneration.

"In light of the current economic situation, and the pressure on government finances, I have decided to adjust downwards the percentage recommended by the commission," Zuma said in a statement issued by the Presidency.

Commission chairperson Judge Willie Seriti had told journalists in Pretoria earlier yesterday that Gordhan, who has been urging restraint in government spending, had been the only minister consulted who had not supported the recommendation.
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The commission welcomed Zuma's decision

Zuma's decision will result in his salary and those of his ministers, their deputies, MPs, members of provincial legislatures, mayors, councillors, judges and magistrates and traditional leaders being increased by 7 percent, backdated to April 1.

MPs' salaries will increase from R714 618 a year to R764 641. Zuma's salary will move up from R2 101 224 to R2 254 729.

Provincial legislature members' salaries will increase from R691 641 to R740 055 and those of councillors will rise from R322 899 to R345 501.

The commission welcomed Zuma's decision.

Seriti said that, although Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe, Co-operative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka and former chief justice Pius Langa had supported an 8 percent increase during consultations, Gordhan had not.

He had asked the commission to consider the high inflation rate and the global economic crisis, and to benchmark the increase according to market-related salary increases, Seriti said.

Seriti had said earlier that, in deciding on a figure, the commission had taken into account the 11 percent salary increase that was granted to public-office bearers last year.


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Showing page 1 of 3 comment pages, 21 total comments
12 Weeks ago KS wrote :
Lucky him, getting a 7 percent inrease on top of the fat salary he earns, I mean really our parlimentarians have to keep up with the rising costs here in good old RSA. The whole of our company got a 0% increase and some people were even retrenched.
12 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
Ok so can the taxpayers get that 1% back in their pockets instead... reduce income tax by 1% instead of increasing it for SABC funding!!! BTW will all those MPs etc also be paying their 1% income tax increase for the proposed SABC funding? Gee imagine how much that would be on those kind of salaries! They could fund it almost by themselves!!! Or are they exempt from paying that?
12 Weeks ago Jo wrote :
Can i have 7% increase too? Haven't had an increase in two years!
12 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
Did anybody notice that Parlementarians also do not pay income tax on the first R120 000 they earn? SICK!!
12 Weeks ago Not surprised wrote :
The fat cats are not in touch with reality. Some of us have two degrees and work extended hours in the private sector (financial services industry)and cannot hope to match an MP's salary! Furthermore, many of us haven't seen salary increases since 2007. At the time, increases were more like 6% when the bloated public sector was demanding increases in excess of 10%. The worst is, these political 'heavyweights' don't produce or create anything, just an avalanche of words.
12 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
I agree with the tax payer there these people must be given increase based on thier perfomance that is how it works in the private sector,and it will help encourage to put more to their work
12 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
no increase should have been the verdict, as it is, compared to the salaries these guys are earning, one increase of 7% amounts to like R50 000, thats probably more than what 90% of the people of this country take home at the end of a month, so it is still rediculous. These fat cakes only seem to be getting fatter, while the rest sruggle to survive. "Equality" still nothing but a dream in this world of ours.
12 Weeks ago Lindela wrote :
These guys have got gud salaries already and good benefits they was actual no need for them to have an increase at all up until the economic situation becomes better,can't they make sacrifice as true who are not after money but looking at improving the lives of people.
12 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
And we had to take a 6% salary sacrifice to keep the company running!
12 Weeks ago DDiets wrote :
It is commendable that it has been cut by a whole 1% but at a time when thousands of normal people are out of work or taking pay freezes or pay cuts just to stay in work it beggars belief that MP's etc get a fat pay rise. Does this mean their expense accounts will also be cut?