The South African Presidency is not yet ready to make an announcement on the salary adjustments for judges and MPs.
President Thabo Mbeki’s spokesperson Bheki Khumalo said on Friday: “Once we are ready, we will issue a statement.”
This comes amid speculation that the president will not accept the advice of a 7% increase recommended by the Moseneke Commission.
Khumalo said the Presidency is aware of the public interest in the matter.
Meanwhile, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said in a statement on Friday that it welcomes Mbeki’s rejection of the 7% increase — although it appeared to be jumping the gun.
Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said Cosatu congratulates the government on taking account of the widespread public concern that highly paid politicians and public officials — including judges — could have received a bigger increase than low-paid public-service workers whose trade unions had to struggle for months to achieve a 6,2% increase.
He was referring to the recent salary increases for civil servants who went on strike to prove their point.
Craven said a 6,2% increase — which Cosatu believes Mbeki is to announce as the maximum increase — at the highest level will be greater than the total salary of those at the lowest level. It has been speculated in the Afrikaans daily press that the rises will be between 5,5% and 6,2%.
Craven was not available for further comment on Friday as senior Cosatu officials were locked in a meeting.
The commission mooted a 7% increase for MPs, members of the provincial legislatures, President Thabo Mbeki himself, judges, magistrates and local government councillors.
According to Moseneke, factors such as the rate of inflation, the South African Reserve Bank inflation targets, trends in salary increases and the possible effect of fuel increases were considered to justify the increase.
The Moseneke recommendation falls outside the boundaries of the inflation target band of 3% to 6%.
It was recommended that the lowest-paid MP should receive R370 370 a year, including a car allowance of R74 074. The highest-paid ordinary MP — one who is not a chair of a committee or a whip — will receive R407 413, including a car allowance of R81 483. — I-Net Bridge