Mapisa-Nqakula looking at a salary bump despite Cabinet removal

It looks like former Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is getting a “promotion” salary-wise, despite being removed as a member of Cabinet.

Last Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his much-anticipated Cabinet reshuffle.

The changes to Cabinet saw National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise being appointed as the new Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, with Ramaphosa indicating that Mapisa-Nqakula would be deployed to a new position.

‘Promotion’

However, Mapisa-Nqakula, on Tuesday, was nominated by the ANC parliamentary to be the new speaker of the National Assembly.

The former minister will see herself walk away with R2.8 million (R2 825 470 to be exact) per year once she is officially elected into her new position.

Mapisa-Nqakula, as minister, earned R2.4 million (R2 401 633) per year, which is less than what she is going to be getting as the speaker of the National Assembly.

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So despite being demoted to a lower position with less powers than members of the executive, Mapisa-Nqakula will still get a salary increase.

This also means that the former minister will earn the same amount as the deputy president of the country.

In May this year, Ramaphosa signed off and gazetted the salaries for top officials for the 2021 financial year.

According to the gazette, deputy president, speaker of National Assembly and the chair of the National Council of Provinces were each entitled to a package of R2.8 million annually.

Contradictory statements

Mapisa-Nqakula’s removal from Cabinet came after the rampant looting and violent unrest in some parts of the country last month, which left more than 300 people dead.

There had been calls from the opposition for the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster ministers – including Mapisa-Nqakula, former State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo and Police Minister Bheki Cele – to be sacked from Cabinet for their handling of the unrest.

However, Mapisa-Nqakula was the only minister from the security cluster who got the chop from Cabinet.

Dlodlo was moved back to her old position as Public service and Administration Minister, while Cele remained the Police Minister.

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Amid the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng sparked by the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma, Ramaphosa came out boldly to label the incidences as a “failed attempted insurrection”, while also acknowledging government’s unpreparedness for the riots.

This was very different to the statements made by Mapisa-Nqakula and Dlodlo, who insisted that the violence had nothing to do with a coup or an insurrection. 

The contradictory statements were seen as damaging to the image of the security cluster, as well as the ANC, with some political analysts suggesting that Ramphosa was “being betrayed by members of his Cabinet”, further leading to calls for change in the executive.

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‘Mockery of Parliament’ 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has expressed their dissatisfaction on Mapisa-Nqakula’s nomination for the parliamentary position.

DA Chief whip Natasha Mazzone labelled the decision to nominate the former defence minister as “a mockery of parliament and the Constitution”.

“While the ANC seeks to give a glowing account of Mapisa-Nqakula’s tenure in government, the reality is that there is nothing to celebrate.

“She is not fit to lead parliament as she does not espouse the principles of accountability and transparency required to lead the institution. This nomination is just an example of the ANC recycling an underperforming minister,” Mazzone said in a statement.

Mazzone went on to say: “There are clearly numerous instances of her seemingly abusing her position of power and disregarding ethics standards for her own political and personal gain. How can the ANC nominate and support an individual whose track record is one of contempt of the very principles which parliament seeks to uphold and promote? The DA will not support the nomination of Mapisa-Nqakula.”