Members of parliament could soon be raking in R900 000 a year if President Jacob Zuma accepts a proposed 5,5 per cent salary increase for public office bearers. None of this is performance based.

The Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers – which is a great name – put forward the increase which is 0,5 per cent higher than last years rise, and has said that they have got the backing from the Ministers consulted and finance minister Prahvin Gordon. Well, obviously, I’d also like to be asked if my pay rise was high enough. Crazily, none of the payments to public office bearers are based on performance.

In fact, commission chairperson Judge Willie Seriti, said the commission believes there is a need to link pay increases for public office bearers to performance, but at present the law did not allow for this. The big joke of the week is that a study to explore possible amendments had been halted due to a lack of funding for the commission.

It’s a good time to work in government.

[Source: Fin24]