DA MP slams Godrich Gardee's parly salary claims, brings receipts!

DA MP Belinda Bozzoli has slammed outgoing EFF MP Godrich Gardee's “disgusting” salary claims, providing “receipts” for how much MPs get paid.

On Wednesday, Gardee went on a rant about the conditions in which MPs live and their remuneration.

Throwing in the towel as an MP, Gardee said MPs were forced to live in “disgusting” conditions and had no benefits or car allowances.

“The hullabaloo about salaries of MPs is misplaced. MPs cannot even afford (to put their) own children in universities and their children cannot be considered for NSFAS, hence Bosasa paid for their children,” he said.

Responding, the DA's shadow minister for higher education shared her payslip, which shows MPs take home just more than R48,000 a month.

In a series of tweets, Bozzoli also disputed Gardee's claims about not getting an allowance.

“The Public Office allowance pays for more general, claimable expenses, such as phones used in the course of duty, travel to and from constituency, and so on,” said Bozzoli.

She also gave details about perks MPs receive. Gardee said there weren't any.

“From this you will see that the take-home pay is not as big as you thought it might be, but it is still generous. The R1.1m salary is actually the package, while the basic salary is about R600,000 per annum,” Bozzoli said.

She said MPs get free flights to and from parliament for sittings and meetings, and their spouses get a limited number of free flights.

“Furthermore, if we come from outside Cape Town we have the option to live in very modest accommodation, provided at a nominal rent by parliament. Not everyone takes up that option,” she said.