Whoever is head of state and president of South Africa in 2009/10 will receive an estimated income of R1,3-million a year, according to the estimates of national expenditure released on Wednesday.
President Thabo Mbeki received remuneration of R1,18-million in the 2006/07 financial year. His constitutional term limit of two terms ends in 2009.
The Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, received R973Â 000 and this will rise to just over R1-million in 2007/08. It will rise to R1,13-million in 2009/10.
Between 2003/04 and 2006/07, expenditure of the Presidency increased at an average annual rate of 18,6%. This was due to capacity building, especially at senior management level to attract professionals and an increase in transfers to the National Youth Commission “to strengthen its role in addressing the needs of the youth”.
The transfer from the Presidency increases from R13,5-million in 2003/04 to R22,6-million in 2009/10 to the commission.
Expenditure was estimated to have grown from R241-million in 2006/07 to R272-million in 2009/10 — which was an increase of 4,4%. No additional funds were allocated in the 2007 budget.
Spending on the Presidency rises from R233-million in 2006/07 to R256-
million in 2007/08. This includes a jump in consultants and contractors fees from just under R10-million to just over R20-million.
The legal fees bill, however, drops from R10,6-million in 2006/07 — for the expenses of former deputy president Jacob Zuma — to a budget of just R794Â 000 in 2007/08. – I-Net Bridge