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How much money kings, traditional leaders, judges, ministers and premiers could get paid in 2019

Staff Writer

 ·26 Nov 2018

The Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers has made its recommendations for salary increases for public officials in 2019 – including a pay hike for president Cyril Ramaphosa and deputy president David Mabuza.

The commission has recommended that all public office bearers receive a 4% pay increase for the April 2018 – March 2019 period. The recommendations have been gazetted, but still need to be approved by the presidency.

The commission recommended a 0% increase for most government officials in 2017, due to the economic climate at the time.

And while South Africa’s economy continued to struggled through 2017, the commission recommended a small increase for officials in 2018. Ultimately, the presidency settled on an increase of 4.4%.

According to the remuneration commission, its recommendations are mainly based around inflation levels, and how that impacts the lives of public office bearers.

“Any consideration around the remuneration adjustments should take into account the effects of inflation to enable employees to maintain their lifestyle,” it said.

“There is a general expectation that higher inflation implies a higher remuneration adjustment. As a starting point, the basis for consideration of a salary increase and the particular cost of living adjustment, it would be done relative to headline inflation.”

Inflation is expected to remain in its targeted band (projected to average 4.8% in 2018), while average wage inflation in South Africa as whole is expected to be 7.4%.

“Since 2011, government has been forced to restrict employee headcount growth to accommodate rising salaries,” it said.

“After considering all of the above, the commission is recommending a 4% annual adjustment to the remuneration of all categories of Public Office Bearers.”

Rising government wage bill

President Cyril Ramaphosa is in a difficult position, with his promise of reining in government spending to help resuscitate a struggling economy.

However, the biggest chunk of South Africa’s expenses goes straight to state salaries and wages.

Stats SA recently broke down government’s expenses for the 2016/17 financial year, showing that compensation for employees took up 42% (R602 billion) of the R1.5 trillion spent by the state.

The country’s public service wage bill already suffered a sizeable blow in 2018, with public servant unions successfully negotiating 6% to 7% increases for 2019 and beyond – while reported plans to retrench some 30,000 government workers was hastily scuppered following backlash.

Trade federation Cosatu has already dismissed the commission’s recommended 4% hike for 2019, telling the president to scrap the notion of increases altogether this year.

The recommendations now sit with the president, who will have a final say on what adjustment, if any, will be put into effect. Parliament will have the final say on the president’s salary increase.

Here is what the commission recommends public office bearers get paid next year (April 2018 – March 2019):

President, Deputy president, Ministers and Deputy Ministers

Members of the National Assembly and Delegates to the National Council of Provinces

Premiers, Executive Councils and Provincial Legislatures

Magistrates

Others

Government Gazette for The Presidency by BusinessTech on Scribd

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