Speaker Didiza promises transparency in Parliamentary salary dispute

National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza says her administration does not intend to sweep under the carpet the lingering issue of the salary of the Secretary to Parliament, Xolile George.

On Thursday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) announced it has called on the President and the Public Protector to order investigations into George’s recruitment and the doubling of his salary, which now puts his annual pay at almost R5 million.

On Friday, Didiza said she was satisfied that Parliament’s Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament will address the matter.

With Xolile George more than halfway through his five-year term as Parliament’s chief administrator, the DA says it is still concerned that it was lied to about his salary.

In 2022, former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula assured political parties George’s salary would remain within the R2.4 million and R2.6 million range as advertised, even though he was earning far more than this at the time as the CEO of the SA Local Government Association.

At issue is whether Mapisa-Nqakula and former National Council of Provinces Chairperson Amos Masondo unilaterally and illegally doubled his salary after only a few months.

Speaker Thoko Didiza says she cannot answer to how the matter was dealt with by the previous administration, but it is within parties’ rights to lay complaints with external bodies.

"The matter is surfacing again, we will have to look at the records and what was done, and report to the relevant committee of parliament," Didiza said.

George was notably absent today as the refurbished dome structure from the Minister of Public Works, Dean Macpherson, was handed to Parliament for use as the National Assembly chamber.