Mapisa-Nqakula could face inquiry over unilaterally hiking Parly secretary’s salary

CAPE TOWN - National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula could face a Parliamentary inquiry into why she unilaterally hiked the salary of the secretary to Parliament, Xolile George, without informing political parties. 

It emerged last year that George is earning almost 70% more than the R2.6 million salary Parliament earmarked for the job when it advertised the vacancy.

Parliament’s powers and privileges committee has given Mapisa-Nqakula until next Monday to provide written explanations for the salary bump, only months after George joined Parliament in June 2022.

It was well-known from the onset that Parliament could not afford the former CEO of the South African Local Government Association, who was earning an annual salary of over R5 million rand. 

But Mapisa-Nqakula told political parties he had agreed to a R2.6 million salary. 

In a letter to Mapisa-Nqakula, the powers and privileges committee said it was considering whether she breached her oath of office and misled Parliament by adjusting George’s salary to R4.4 million. 

In its complaint, the Democratic Alliance (DA) says Mapisa-Nqakula violated the code of conduct and ethics for members by improperly enriching George and lying about it. 

It further alleges she excluded other candidates from applying for the job at a higher salary and delayed the process by a year to ensure George was appointed. 

Parliament has previously claimed George was headhunted and thus appointed through a different process and at a different salary.

The powers and privileges committee said if the matter proceeds to an inquiry - Mapisa-Nqakula would be invited to respond in person to the charges.