The Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers has recommended a 3 percent salary increase for all Public Office Bearers (POBs).
POBs include President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Cabinet, Deputy Ministers, Premiers and members of provincial executive councils, members of Parliament and provincial legislatures, local government leaders, judges, and traditional leaders.
Proposed salary increases for Ramaphosa, Cabinet
In a gazette notice published on Wednesday (30 March), the Commission said it had engaged various stakeholders before arriving at its recommendation, including the Finance, Justice, and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Ministers, among others.
Among the factors it considered include South Africa’s fiscal condition, wage bill and “the impact of POBs’ salary increment on the fiscus and general economic status of the country as affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“After considering the relevant legislation and factors mentioned above, the Commission recommends a 3 percent [increase] for the remuneration of all categories of POBs,” it added.
However, the law gives Ramaphosa the power to either approve or decline the recommendation except for his own salary, which is subject to Parliament’s approval.
What they will earn
This is what Ramaphosa, Ministers and Deputy Ministers will earn in 2022 if the Remuneration Commission’s recommendation is approved:
| Position | Current salary | Recommended salary |
|---|---|---|
| President | R2,989,845 | R3,079,540 |
| Deputy President | R2,825,470 | R2,910,234 |
| Minister | R2,401,633 | R2,473,682 |
| Deputy Minister | R1,977,795 | R2,037,129 |
In 2019, the President decided to decline recommended increases for the Cabinet, Deputy Ministers, provincial executives, Speaker of Parliament, Chairperson of NCOP, House Chairperson and Speakers of provincial legislatures.
However, he approved increases for other categories of POBs, including judges and magistrates, Deputy Speaker, Mayors, MPs, Members of Provincial Legislatures, councillors, and traditional leaders.
In 2020, he also declined the Commission’s recommended 3 percent salary increase for POBs earning more than R1.5 million per annum. However, he approved increases for POBs earning less than R1.5 million.
Last year, the Commission did not recommend an increase.
The proposed increases come just a day after Statistics South Africa announced a record unemployment rate of 35.3% for the fourth quarter of 2021.
On Wednesday, it also announced that the average salary in South Africa as at November 2021 was R23,982, which amounts to around R287,784 per annum.