/ 14 June 2007

Presidency: Mbeki didn’t reject salary proposals

President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday dismissed reports he has ”rejected” the recommendations of the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers chaired by Justice Dikgang Moseneke.

”For the record, the Presidency wishes to state that the president has, rather than reject the commission’s recommendations, requested the commission to consider concerns raised by various institutions subsequent to the publication of its report,” his office said in a statement.

The Presidency appealed to all South Africans to familiarise themselves with the commission’s processes as laid down in legislation.

This legislation placed the responsibility of determining the president’s remuneration in the hands of the commission and Parliament, while the president determined the salaries of MPs, the Presidency said.

On Wednesday, Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said Mbeki had not accepted the commission’s recommendations that government leaders’ salaries be increased by huge percentages.

Briefing the media after Cabinet’s fortnightly meeting, Fraser-Moleketi said the new salaries, as recommended by the commission, would not be implemented.

”The president has considered the recommendations but did not accept them,” she said.

She said Mbeki would first have to officially write back to the commission, informing it of his decision before making an official statement to the effect that he has rejected them.

The commission had recommended that Mbeki, his Cabinet and other public office bearers receive salary increases of up to 57%.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions has used the recommendations as a rallying point in its current public-service strike, saying its 12% salary increase demand was nothing compared to what Cabinet ministers would soon receive. — Sapa