Low salaries paid to public officials might be the cause of corruption and the high turnover of staff in the public sector, says a report to the presidency by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers.
The report suggests that politicians and traditional leaders receive a 9% increase this year to help keep them in their jobs.
In their submissions to the commission, opposition parties agreed that politicians are underpaid.
”The morale of the members is very low as they feel insecure about their salary increases and find it extremely difficult to budget their own finances because of the inconsistency of the system,” says a statement by opposition parties in the report.
”MPs are in need of a substantial increase in their overall remuneration in order to allow them to do the work they are expected to do unhindered by constant financial pressures, and to prevent a brain drain from Parliament which threatens as more and more MPs consider alternative sources of income and therefore employment,” the opposition said.
”MPs … find themselves worse off year after year despite the importance of the work that they do. MPs, unlike public servants, do not receive any form of housing subsidy or 13th cheque, both of which may have compensated to some extent for the general lowering in real terms of their standards of living.”
The suggested increase exceeds the inflation target for the 2003/04 financial year by between 3% and 6%. Time and again Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni has urged private-sector employers to consider the inflation target when deciding on salary increases.
The commission recommended that President Thabo Mbeki’s remuneration be increased to R1 005 887 from April 1. The president currently receives R923 830. Deputy President Jacob Zuma would earn R828 791, up from R760 365.
Ministers, premiers, the speaker of the National Assembly and the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) would earn between R684 952 and R753 447.
Deputy ministers, the deputy speaker, the deputy chairperson of the NCOP, members of provincial cabinets and speakers of provincial legislatures would earn between R556 719 and R612 391.
Members of the National Assembly, permanent delegates to the NCOP, leaders of provincial legislatures, whips for provincial legislatures, leaders of minority parties in provincial legislatures other than the official opposition will get between R346 139 and R380 752. Members of provincial legislatures would earn between R333 356 and R366 691.
All would get an extra 25% of their salaries as a motor-vehicle allowance.
The state also provides the president and deputy president with housing, transport, security protection and household staff.
The state pays two-thirds of public officials’ medical aid costs.
In 2000 these public officials received an average increase of 6,9%.
Bantu Holomisa, leader of the United Democratic Movement, said that the heads of some parastatals earned more than the president, and he welcomed the proposed increases. ”If they decided to give us even more we won’t say no, we’ll take it,” he said.
Vukani Mde, spokesperson for the Congress of South African Trade Unions, says that public office bearers should set an example by accepting a low salary increase or no increase at all.