AG gets massive increase

OrbitalDawn

OrbitalDawn

Ulysses Everett McGill
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AG gets massive increase

Cape Town - Auditor General Terence Nombembe has received a salary increase of close to a million rand a year, backdated for more than six years.

Details of the increase are contained in a letter, dated 23 May this year, sent by President Jacob Zuma to Parliament. The letter was published this week in a parliamentary document.

"[The president has determined that] the annual salary package of the Auditor General Mr TM Nombembe be increased from R1 708 600 per annum to R2 650 000 per annum with effect from 1 December 2006."

This meant Nombembe's salary package would increase by R941 400 a year, backdated for six-and-a-half years, a windfall of well over R6m.

The date of 1 December 2006 is the day on which Nombembe - who replaced Shauket Fakie, who retired - was appointed to the post.

The letter also announces a huge increase in Nombembe's termination benefits.

"[The] Auditor General’s termination benefit [is to] be increased from 10% of the average term compensation for each year of service, to 50% of the average term compensation for each year of service..."

According to the letter the payment of back pay would be done in accordance with the guidelines applicable to the AG's office.

Zuma's decision to increase Nombembe's salary package was based on a recommendation of the parliamentary committee on the Auditor General.


- SAPA
Click to expand...

:erm:...:rolleyes:
 
back pay would be done in accordance with the guidelines applicable to the AG's office.
Click to expand...

I love it how they say that it was done according to the guidelines ...

But what if those guidelines are wrong. The guidelines are most created by the ones that stand to benefit from decisions taking according to those guidelines.
 
Why only R6m?

I really thought that 'buying' an Auditor General went for a little more these days.....
 
This must be so he can recant Joburg's audit
 
Increasing taxes is making more and more sense.
 
Additional cost to be apportioned to Nkandla? Under Account "coverup".
 
I strongly suspect an important part of the story is missing. A couple of years ago a similar issue arose with regard to the then Public Protector. These Chapter 9 guys (and other constitutional office holders - National Commissioners, DPPs) need to remunerated properly for their independence to be secured, the same as High Court judges, and often a statute or regulation or their contract or simply a resolution of Parliament or cabinet sets out their remuneration in certain terms which is designed to ensure that it cannot be reduced (such as by pissing off the government) and is often pegged to something such as a judges remuneration.

With respect to the Public Protector IIRC the remuneration must be comparable to that of a High Court judge. So for several years the remuneration paid was equal to that paid to a judge, BUT a problem arose because the PP only holds a certain term and their pension is equal to an amount arising from that term whereas judges get a pension equal to their pay for life - there are requirements for serving out 15 years or being over IIRC over 70 and serving 10 and so on but the principle stands - and this of course means that the total remuneration of the PP was short by a few million.

As far as I am aware the AG's pay is determined by Parliament and the President on the basis of a recommendation of a commission on office bearers and there has been a situation since Mbeki left where the Presidency has delayed implementing the recommendations except where it benefits cabinet members to tighten belts in light of the recession. IIRC during the interregnum a decision was taken to await a review of the AG office by a Parliamentary committee and that the matter has been sitting on Zumastration's do nothing agenda for almost five years since.

Exact facts are definitely needed but I have no doubt this isn't a kindness of government (and possible currying favour) it is definitely an autonomy, working conditions etc ... issue.
 
Awesome insight, thanks Paul.

My initial reaction to this was that I didn't really see that much of an issue...
 
The way Paul puts it also don't see much of an issue. Media usually spins things to get a reaction from the people living below the breadline.
 
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