Special consultants to government ministers can earn a fortune — or nothing at all. Paul Stober reports
VAST differences in the pay packets of government consultants make it difficult to work out their true worth to the new ministers.
Government figures, detailing the appointment of advisers, show that 10 ANC ministers have employed consultants or advisers at very different rates — ranging from payment of R28 000 a month to nothing at all except expenses.
Adviser to the minister of education, Dr C Coombe, who has a doctorate, receives no salary and only his “real travel and accommodation expenses” are covered. On the other end of the scale, Dr Olive Shisana, who has three senior qualifications, advises the minister of health at a rate of R28 800 a month. Colleague Dr Tim Wilson, clocks in at R24 000 a month, making the ministery the most generous to its monthly paid employees, although the minister of transport employs a single adviser with a master’s degree for the same monthly amount.
With eight advisers, the Ministry of Safety and Security has employed the most consultants, most of whom are at the higher end of an hourly rate.
Attorney Azhar Cachalia, who is co-ordinating the drawing up of the new police Act, is billing the minister R313 an hour — not exorbitant for a top lawyer.
The minister of education comes next, with four consultants, all paid at relatively low hourly rates. Education guru John Samuels is at the top with R94,12 an hour.
Government advisers, who asked not to be named for professional reasons, insisted they were in most cases worth every cent. They described themselves as the thin edge of the wedge the government will have to use to change the civil service.
“Because we have a negotiated settlement and all civil service appointments have to be approved by the Public Service Commission, we are one of the few ways the ministers can influence the old civil service,” commented an adviser. “If you want new blood in government, the only way it can be done in terms of the interim constitution is through the consultants.”
Most felt their salaries were not out of step with professional rates, especially as they received none of the perks usually associated with appointees to their ranks. Advisers do not get housing subsidies or medical aid and are on a month’s notice. They insisted that once the “perk factor” was added to traditional civil service salaries, they were not that far out of line with public service scales and in most cases were below what could be earned in the private sector. In at least one case, an adviser who described his situation as being similar to most other consultants he knew, had logged an average working day of 12 hours.
“If advisers are lazy, they should be fired, but most ministers are getting value for money because the consultants believe in this government and the future of the country,” he said.