Cosatu took particular exception to local government councillors being rewarded for poor service delivery.
Trade union federation Cosatu has slammed the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers for recommending a 4.1% salary increase for politicians.
This increase will cover parliamentarians, members of provincial legislatures and local government office bearers, various government commissions as well as the judiciary.
Salary increases for politicians
If the proposal is approved, it will result in President Cyril Ramaphosa receiving an additional R137 000 on his salary, bringing his salary to R3.4 million per annum.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile would receive a R130 000 boost to his salary, bringing it to R3.1 million per annum.
Cabinet ministers could see a salary hike of R110 000, bringing their annual salary to R2.8 million.
ALSO READ: Two deputy ministers’ offices rack up R14 million salary bill
In a statement on Sunday, Cosatu spokesperson Matthew Parks said the increase does not make sense amid the country’s financial challenges.
“It is beyond shameful that in the year when the Cabinet said the state did not have money to fulfil its legal obligations and thus a 2% VAT hike was unavoidable, that this tone-deaf commission can make such an obnoxious proposal.
“It defies logic that a month after the minister of finance, Enoch Godongwana, warned Parliament and the nation that further tax hikes may be a necessity in 2026, that the Commission thought proposing an additional R536 million to fund the salaries of politicians, commissioners and judges is morally justifiable,” he said.
Judges and magistrates
According to Parks, the minister of finance had recommended a 4.1% increase for judges and magistrates, and a 3.5% increase for public officer bearers. He described this as a more modest approach.
“Cosatu agrees with Minister Godongwana that there is a need to treat judges and magistrates separately as these are persons with extensive legal qualifications and experience. This is necessary in order to retain their skills and knowledge and avoid a brain drain in an already overwhelmed judicial system.
“Public representatives, however, need to lead by example and when government has motivated for tax increases, including failing to adjust income tax brackets for low- and middle-income earners for inflation for two successive years, then there can be no justification whatsoever for them to receive an increase.
“It is long overdue that this clumsy commission be instructed to submit its proposals for public comment before tabling them to the president for his approval.
“These are workers’ hard-earned taxes and they deserve to be afforded the courtesy of being allowed to make their views heard,” he said.
ALSO READ: More than R140 million in salaries paid to suspended government employees
Poor service delivery
Parks also pointed out that these salary hike recommendations come at a time when municipalities in the country are struggling to deliver basic services.
“Most galling is the inclusion of the 9 331 local government councillors under whose watch the state of municipal finances and services has deteriorated at an alarming rate, with numerous municipalities failing to pay their employees’ salaries, pensions, medical aids and taxes.
“If government has spare funds, then these must be utilised to hire the doctors, nurses, teachers, police officers and other frontline workers needed to provide essential services to working class communities and the economy,” he said.
Cosatu wants increases linked to performance
Parks said government must amend the terms of reference for such increases to be linked to the performance of public representatives and the institutions they are required to oversee.
“Cosatu urges President Cyril Ramaphosa to reject this ill-considered proposal by the commission and to amend it with an inflationary 3.5% for members of the judiciary and a performance based 0% for public representatives,” he said.
NOW READ: Who is SA’s richest MP? Here’s what parliamentarians declared
