Members of parliament yesterday suggested that Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's salary be capped because she earns more than most judges.

The chairman of parliament's portfolio committee on justice, Luwellyn Landers, said Madonsela's salary could not be reduced but said MPs could amend the law to limit the remuneration of her successor.

Madonsela appeared before the committee to ask for a salary increase for her deputy - but soon found herself being grilled about her own pay - R1.789-million a year.

This is equivalent to the salary of provincial premiers and judges of the Supreme Court of Appeal and of the Constitutional Court.

ANC MP John Jeffery said that, if an annual gratuity of more than R1-million was included, Madonsela earned more than the chief justice.

"Where does your contention come from that the public protector's package is linked to that of an appeal court judge? " he said.

"The intention of parliament when it passed the legislation was [remuneration] on a par with [that of] a high court judge and not any other judge."

Madonsela protested: "I think . you have ambushed me because I did not know my own package was going to be under discussion . "

She corrected his reading of the Public Protector's Act, saying it stipulated that the salary of a public protector should be "no less" than that of a high court judge.

It had last been reviewed during the term of her predecessor, Lawrence Mushwana, and was pegged against the pay of an appeal court judge.

A gratuity was paid in lieu of a pension at the end of the protector's seven-year term, Madonsela said. She denied being paid more than the chief justice.