The government gazette has provided information that the lowest paid South African member of Parliament (MP) gets a salary package of R28 845 a month, including a substantial motor vehicle allowance.
This lowest salary category only applies to a handful of MPs — those who have been sworn in the last year. Depending on their seniority — ordinary MPs who do not have positions as committee chairpersons or whips — can earn up to R31 731 a month.
The total package for the most junior MP is R346 140 a year, including a car allowance of R69 228.
A middle-ranking MP earns R370 380 a year and a senior MP R380 760. Their motor vehicle allowances are R74 076 and R76 152 respectively. Most of the 400 members of the National Assembly and 54 permanent members of the National Council of Provinces will earn the top-notch salary.
Committee chairpersons, depending on seniority, will enjoy annual salaries from R418 365 including a car allowance of R83 673, up to R460 185 and a car allowance of R92 037.
The Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces are the highest paid members of Parliament if one excludes ministers. The Speaker, Frene Ginwala and NCOP chairwoman Naledi Pandor earn R746 535 a year including car allowances worth R149 307. Their basic salaries are R597 228 a year.
The Parliamentary Counsellor to the President, Sue van der Merwe earns R499 875 a year including a car allowance of R99 975. The leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance, Tony Leon, earns a similar package.
The Chief Whip of the ruling African National Congress Nathi Nhleko also earns that package. The new packages came into effect retrospectively to April this year.
Party leaders — other than the official opposition — earn up to R428 055 a year.
Earnings for those in this category includes a car allowance of R85 611 a year. These will include Freedom Front leader Pieter Mulder and African Christian Democratic Party leader Kenneth Meshoe.
New party leaders, however, who have served less than a year, including Patricia de Lille, leader of the Independent Democrats (having crossed from the Pan Africanist Congress) and Theresa Millen, leader of the new Independent African Movement (having crossed from the Inkatha Freedom Party), will receive a package of R408 600 a year. This includes a car allowance of R81 720.
Other new party leaders who will have seen a similar rise in fortunes are Farouk Cassim, a former Inkatha Freedom Party MP who leads the Peace and Justice Congress in the assembly, and Nelson Ramodike, a former United Democratic Movement MP who now leads the Alliance for Democracy and Prosperity.
Cassie Aucamp, who was the sole MP and leader of the Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweing, now leads the National Action. His salary would have remained on the same scale — the top one.
All four new party leaders — Millen, Cassim, De Lille and Ramodike — would have increased their incomes from that of the highest paid ordinary MPs earning R380 760 a year including a car allowance of R76 152. – I-Net Bridge