George salary hike haunts Didiza as MPs demand forensic probe

The ghost of parliament’s controversial 70% salary hike for its secretary (STP) Xolile George continues to haunt National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza every time the institution’s budget and management issues come under discussion.

DA and EFF MPs have called for a forensic probe into the controversial way George’s salary has ballooned from R2.4m when he started working for parliament in June 2022 to just under R5m this year, under questionable circumstances.

But Didiza was quick to point out that she was not speaker of parliament when George was appointed.

However, she conceded that parliament may have to re-examine the process of recruiting and appointing its chief administrator.

But opposition MPs would not have it, again raising the long-running salary saga during the debate of parliament’s R6.3bn budget for 2026/27, tabled by Didiza on Thursday.

“Today the man earns just under five million. He earns more than the president, more than the speaker of the National Assembly, more than the chairperson of the NCOP,” charged the EFF’s Omphile Maotwe.

“He earns more than all ministers in cabinet, more than deputy ministers and more than all directors-general of all national departments with more complex and bigger organisations.

“It gets worse, we are told that his salary includes a gratuity, like an option incentive as [if] he works for a multibillion-rand company listed on the JSE. And this speaker turns a blind eye to this corruption. The speaker has learnt nothing.”

Maotwe went as far as claiming that they had evidence that parliament’s rebuild project was laced with corruption and that they have submitted proof of this to forensic investigators for verification.

“The corruption that we will expose regarding the rebuilding of parliament, a project that is under the direct supervision of the STP [secretary to parliament] whom we believe was appointed in a corrupt manner, is a crime scene.

“This parliament burned down in 2022; we were told it would cost R2.2bn to rebuild. Three years later we are told the cost has escalated to R3.3bn. By the end it will be R5bn or more.

“With the information we have, which we have handed over to forensic investigators for assessment, we are confident that that people will be arrested at the end of this project. Those are serious people with influence, but it will not come as a surprise.”

There are also serious concerns about the STP, including a gigantic salary increase, consultants, acting allowances, overtime expenditure and gratuity claims.

—  DA’s Michele Clarke

The DA’s Michele Clarke also weighed-in, supporting calls for a forensic probe into George’s salary and parliament’s wage bill in general.

“There are also serious concerns about the STP, including a gigantic salary increase, consultants, acting allowances, overtime expenditure and gratuity claims.

“The ANC in the committee [joint standing committee on the financial management of parliament], took a resolution that the salary of the STP was a closed matter, the DA strongly disagrees with this motion. We demand a proper forensic investigation regarding the salary increase of the STP. If these decisions were taken without proper approval, then we are not only dealing with poor administration, but we are also dealing with a breakdown in governance.”

But speaking in the same debate, the ANC’s Soviet Lekganyane, who is a co-chair of the JSCFMP, reiterated that his party considered the salary matter closed.

“We received a report at the end of the financial year, 2023/24. As the co-chair of this committee, we want to reiterate that we are forever open to every question honourable members may want to raise regarding that matter. They should follow the procedure; we are not hiding anything.”

Closing the debate, Didiza said Maotwe had misrepresented some of the facts in her allegations on the George matter.

“I was fortunate that I managed to send a message to Honourable Maotwe who made certain interventions and left.

“And as a point of correction, it’s important to say this in this house: she referred about decisions that executive authorities have taken in the appointment of the STP and in terms of dates and time and I think she is wrong,” said Didiza.

“The STP was appointed in 2022, by the sixth administration … but I think these issues raise an important matter that this parliament must deal with."

She added: “Ours is to correct and not grandstand and make political points in a very serious matter.

“But also, it must not impugn somebody’s integrity. Colleagues, these are professionals who decide to come and work in this parliament to support our work. And I do think where they need to be corrected, we need to do so in a proper way.

“But I don’t think we need to embellish their professionalism, I don’t think it augurs well for us.

“It may be Xolile George today, it may be your son or your daughter tomorrow. Because they, too, will at times work for the institutions of government.

“If there are wrong things that were done by the then administration in terms of executive authority and MPs, because they participated in the interview process, let’s correct it.”