South African traditional leaders get a meager pay increase
Annual inflation affects everyone, including traditional leaders in South Africa. Consequently, President Ramaphosa has authorized a pay increase for 2024.
A nationwide appeal has been made to honor the role of traditional leaders in South Africa. Traditional leaders held significant influence in South Africa long before Jan van Riebeeck arrived.
Now, into his seventh administration, President Cyril Ramaphosa has approved a pay rise as a sign of respect for these figureheads. But is it as much as they deserve?
This week, the President made an official declaration of salaries and allowances for traditional leaders in South Africa for 2024. And before you jump on your high horse about a waste of government money, you should realise the annual increase is below that of government salaries and even the 4.8% increase to social welfare grants.
PAY RISE FOR TRADITIONAL LEADERS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Traditional leaders are extremely important and symbolic figureheads for South Africa. Not only do they play significant roles within rural communities, but they dictate important strategy for rural development, as well as guide broader governance framework. They often engage in service delivery partnerships with the government in all these spheres.
According to IOL, the Office of the Presidency took recommendation by the Independent Commission for Remuneration of Public Office Bearers on the matter. However, traditional leaders in South Africa, plus members of traditional houses, will receive only a miserly 2.5% remuneration increase in 2024
Salaries apply to a range of roles for traditional leaders in South Africa, including both full and part time positions. These encompass both National House of Traditional Leaders (NHTL) and Provincial House of Traditional Leaders (PHTL). And it is understood that the miserly increase will take a King and Queen’s salary up to approximately R1.4 million per year.
WHO ELSE WILL BENEFIT?
Besides Kings and Queens at the top of the totem pole, principal traditional leaders will bank R1.2 million. An NHTL chairperson now gets R1 million and PHTL chairperson R860 000 respectively. Meanwhile, deputies in each role will earn R800 000 and R735 000 respectively. Full-time members of the NHTL and PHTL will earn R465 000 and R398 000 each.
Likewise, senior traditional leader will earn R300 000 annually, and the headman/woman will earn R130 000. Beyond these miserly increases to their salaries, rural bosses benefit from something called a sitting allowance. This is basically a monthly stipend or per diem. And these range from R1 415 to R2 028 per month. The funds help facilitate subsistence and transport costs to attend official meetings for traditional leaders in South Africa.