Thabo Mohlala
State prosecutors are to receive huge salary increases backdated to January 1, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Penuell Maduna has announced.
This year prosecutors protested against their salaries and working conditions by embarking on a series of go-slows, adding to an already deteriorating problem of a backlog of cases across South Africa’s courts.
Maduna’s increase, announced in the Government Gazette, introduces a new grading system for prosecutors. For instance, those on level 13 who were earning R229 848 a year will now get R385 080 and level 14 who were pocketing R264 411 will now get R430 227 under the new “inclusive flexible remuneration”.
Maduna’s spokesperson Paul Setsetse said prosecutors will now be in the category of senior management and thus be entitled to benefits enjoyed by senior state advocates and senior public prosecutors.
“For us this signifies our commitment to levelling playing fields and also to improving working conditions of prosecutors, magistrates and judges. We believe with better working conditions, judges, magistrates and prosecutors will be in a much better position to execute their duties with pride,” Setsetse said. “We will continue to seek ways to improve on the working conditions of judicial officers.”
Society for State Advocates spokesperson advocate Billy Downer said: “The percentage increase is nothing to get excited about.”
However, Downer is pleased with the general restructuring.