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MINISTRY
COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NUMBER 62
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 20 MARCH 2015
62. Mr L B Gaehler (Eastern Cape-UDM) to ask the Minister of Cooperative
Governance and Traditional Affairs:
(1) Whether he will consider the standardisation of salary packages
of traditional leaders of various tribes (details furnished); if
not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) Whether the salary increment of traditional leaders will be (a)
realigned with that of other public representatives and (b)
regulated accordingly; if not, why not; if so, what are the
relevant details;
(3) Whether his department is considering paying the headmen any
salaries; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
CW93E
Reply:
1) Traditional leaders are public office bearers. In this regard,
the honourable member is referred to section 219(1) of the
Constitution, 1996, read with the definition of âoffice-bearerâ
in section 1 of the Independent Commission for the Remuneration
of Public Office-Bearers Act, 1997, and the definition of
âoffice-bearerâ in section 1 of the Remuneration of Public
Office Bearers Act, 1998. The salaries, allowances and benefits
of all public office bearers, thus including traditional
leaders, are determined by the President based on
recommendations to be made by the Independent Commission on the
Remuneration of Public Office Bearers, after consultation with
the relevant stakeholders. It is therefore not the Minister for
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs who recommends or
determines the salaries of traditional leaders.
Nonetheless, I wish to inform the honourable member that the
salaries of traditional leaders are indeed standardised. For
example, the salary level of all kings and senior traditional
leaders is the same irrespective of which community they belong
to or in which province they are located. The same applies to
other traditional leadership positions.
2) As mentioned under (1), this is the prerogative of the President
after taking into account recommendations made by the
Independent Commission on the Remuneration of Public Office
Bearers.
3) The honourable member is referred to the Presidentâs
determination which was published under Proclamation No. 14 of
13 March 2015 (Government gazette No. 38568) in terms of which
provision is made for the salaries of headmen and headwomen.