Xolile George's R4.4 million salary causes stir in Parliament meeting

National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza said on the face of it, she does not believe processes were manipulated by her predecessor in determining the R4.4 million salary for Secretary to Parliament Xolile George.

Didiza briefed a heated meeting of the Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament on Wednesday night, presenting members with a file containing a confidential paper trail related to George’s appointment and salary.

This, as African National Congress (ANC) members of Parliament (MPs) closed ranks around former Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, contending she did not mislead Parliament when she approved George’s salary hike of almost 70% during his first seven months in office.

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When the two houses of Parliament approved George’s appointment in 2022, no salary was attached to the house resolution.

On Wednesday night, Didiza said all four shortlisted candidates were made aware that a benchmarking exercise for an appropriate salary for the position was taking place concurrently with the selection process.

“From where we are sitting, as the executive authority, we don’t have any indication of the manipulation. Unless honourable members know what that manipulation may have been.”

But the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)’s Omphile Maotwe said the ANC was to blame for the mess and the advertisement had been misleading.

With George earning more than R5 million at the time, she said by attaching a R2.6 million salary to the advertisement, it excluded potential candidates from applying.

“The process was engineered to circumvent the problem that was created by him accepting a lower salary.”

ANC deputy chief whip Doris Mpapane said she believed the Democratic Alliance (DA), which has lodged a complaint with the Public Protector, was hammering on the matter more than three years later because they do not like George.

Didiza said no further changes have been made to George’s R4.4 million salary since the start of the seventh administration.