DA wants Parliament to investigate Xolile George's 70% salary hike

CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance (DA) wants Parliament to establish a joint ad hoc committee to investigate the inflated salary of its secretary Xolile George.

The 70% salary hike was approved by former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and National Council of Provinces chairperson Amos Masondo a few months after George was appointed in 2022.

The powers and privileges committee which had been investigating the matter dismissed it last week because Mapisa-Nqakula is no longer a member of Parliament.

However, DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube says it doesn’t mean an investigation is not still warranted.

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When George was appointed secretary to Parliament in June 2022 - political parties were under the impression he would be paid R2.6 million.

The Sunday Times however, blew the lid that Parliament’s presiding officers had secretly increased his salary to over R4 million within seven months.

Despite a legal opinion to the powers and privileges committee last week indicating Parliament’s presiding officers have a case to answer for, the ANC majority on the committee said they could no longer investigate following Mapisa-Nqakula’s resignation.

Gwarube said the matter can’t just be ignored.

"The secretary to Parliament still has a salary that has been inflated by 70%, and the members of Parliament are still none the wiser about how this happened, who made this decision and why it is that Parliament was misled in the first place."

Gwarube is asking the acting speaker to consider the establishment of a joint ad hoc committee to investigate the matter before the end of the parliamentary term on 21 May.