The salary package of Secretary to Parliament Xolile George has come under scrutiny.
Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers
National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza said the presiding officers have no reason to believe there was any irregularity in the appointment of Secretary to Parliament Xolile George, whose annual salary is far larger than President Cyril Ramaphosa’s R3.4 million.
Briefing the Joint Standing Committee on Financial Management of Parliament, Didiza said Auditor-General (A-G) Tsakani Maluleke had conducted an audit following media reports and made a presentation to the presiding officers when the annual report was tabled.
“In the letter she gave to us on the work they did, they did not find any irregularity. As the executive authority we have no reason (to believe) anything might have been done incorrectly,” she said.
Didiza was briefing the committee in the wake of the DA requesting Ramaphosa to authorise the Special Investigating Unit to probe George’s salary package.
The party has also lodged a complaint with Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka against George, former speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and former NCOP chairperson Amos Masondo.
Gcaleka has recused herself from the complaint involving George, citing a perceived conflict of interest linked to their alleged romantic relationship - the probe will now be headed by her deputy, Dinkie Dube.
The salary package for George's post, which now stands at R4.9 million, was initially advertised at R2.6 million, but it was increased to R4.4m within six months of the appointment of George.
Didiza said the post was advertised in early 2020 with a salary package ranging between R2.4m and R2.6m, down from the R3.2m package of George’s predecessor Gengezi Mgidlana.
She said the then Speaker Thandi Modise and Masondo had instructed that the maximum salary be R2.6m after an irregularity was found in the notch due to a pending benchmarking exercise.
The post was re-advertised in October 2020 on condition that benchmarking was obtained.
While 43 applications were received, eight candidates were shortlisted, and Modise and Masondo had concerns about the quality of the candidates, prompting the initiation of a head-hunting recruitment process.
This process led to four candidates being shortlisted and George was appointed after the interview panel unanimously recommended him.
Didiza said the remuneration package had not been concluded and was the subject of negotiations and further consideration when the appointment was done.
George did not sign the draft contract but he accepted the offer and that the total remuneration was to be determined upon the outcome of the benchmarking exercise, which suggested R4.4m.
“On January 18, 2023 the executive authorities approved the revised salary retrospective effective from 15 June 2020. The retrospective implementation was effected in August 2022,” said Didiza.
Didiza said no further salary adjustments were made other than standard annual inflationary adjustment applicable to all employees as disclosed in the annual report that members have seen tabled by the AG.”
EFF MP Omphile Maotwe said the ANC should be blamed for the situation Parliament finds itself in.
“The process was wrong. The people who appointed Mr George did us an injustice,” she said.
MK Party acting parliamentary leader Des Van Rooyen said the questions around the salary package cast doubt on the processes followed by Parliament and the A-G.
“We seem not to have confidence in the process we decided to follow. I am worried if we are not aware that we might set a bad precedent,” Van Rooyen said.
He also expressed concern in the handling of the matter by some parties, especially the DA. “There is a lot of hypocrisy at play here,” said Van Rooyen pointing to high salary of R4.4m earned by the DA-led Cape Town City manager per the AG’s 2023/24 local government report.
His comment came amid questions posed by the DA at the meeting wherein DA MP Michele Clarke wanted to know if the salary was inflated 'to more than that of President Cyril Ramaphosa, while some South Africans can't put food on the table'.
Clarke asked if the former presiding officers could be summonsed.
“There are serious questions to be asked concerning this issue,” she said.
Her colleague Rikus Badenhorst asked that they be given enough time to look at the confidential documents and put questions in writing.
“I have not had a chance to look at these documents properly,” said Badenhorst.
Although ANC deputy chief whip Doris Mpapane initially shot down the proposal, the committee agreed that MPs should receive the documents.
This after Didiza proposed that the personal information in the documents be redacted.
Cape Times