The EFF wants the Auditor-General South Africa (Agsa) to explain her office’s role in the controversial recruitment and apparently inflated R4.4m salary of secretary to parliament Xolile George.
This comes after National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza last week told MPs that the office of auditor-general (AG) Tsakani Maluleke had audited all processes leading to George’s appointment and the increase of his salary by about 70% between 2022 and 2023 — from R2.6m to R4.4m — and found nothing untoward about it.
This led to the joint standing committee on the financial management of parliament, following Didiza’s presentation, declaring that there was nothing sinister about George’s massive pay rise and that it considered the matter closed.
The move has also been slammed by the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), which has called for a full investigation into the pay rise.
The matter is also the subject of a complaint filed with the office of the public protector by the DA, which the chapter nine institution is now investigating.
But since the AG’s report on the matter has not been publicly released, the EFF on Tuesday wrote to Maluleke, asking her to clarify her role in the controversial pay hike.
We wish to emphasise that the Agsa occupies a constitutionally protected position as an independent institution responsible for strengthening public accountability. It is therefore of fundamental importance that its role and conclusions in matters such as these are clearly understood.
— Omphile Maotwe, EFF MP
Its MP on the committee, Omphile Maotwe, in the letter seen by the Sunday Times, wants the AG to explain:
- Did the Agsa conduct an audit or formal review of the recruitment process specifically for the position of Secretary to Parliament (STP), including the manner in which the recruitment process was conducted, halted, re-advertised and ultimately concluded?
- Did the Agsa review the determination of the remuneration package offered to the STP at the time of appointment, including the processes through which the salary was set and subsequently adjusted?
- Did the Agsa examine the circumstances surrounding the later increase in the remuneration package of the STP, including whether the adjustment complied with the applicable legislative and governance framework governing parliament?
- Given that the appointment and initial remuneration arrangements occurred during the 2022/23 financial year, could the Agsa clarify what led to these matters being considered as part of the 2023/24 audit process?
George signed his employment offer in 2022 with the caveat that his full pay and other benefits would be reviewed once he joined parliament.
He joined parliament in July 2022 with pay of R2.6m, but this was increased to R4.4m a year later with backpay, apparently following a benchmarking exercise conducted by a private remuneration specialist company.
Maotwe further asks the AG if a letter dated August 12 2024, addressed to Didiza and the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, “constitutes the formal confirmation by Agsa that the recruitment process and remuneration adjustments relating to the STP were properly handled and free of irregularities.
“We wish to emphasise that the Agsa occupies a constitutionally protected position as an independent institution responsible for strengthening public accountability. It is therefore of fundamental importance that its role and conclusions in matters such as these are clearly understood,” Maotwe added.
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