DA challenges Parly Secretary’s ‘irregular appointment’, salary increase

DA challenges Parly Secretary's 'irregular appointment', salary increase The DA will file court papers in the Western Cape High Court to have the appointment and salary of Secretary to Parliament Xolile George declared unlawful and set aside. This legal move targets what the party says is an irregular 70% pay hike that saw George's salary surge from R2.6-million to R4.4-million within months of taking office. The party contends that reversing the decision is vital to preserving institutional accountability and fiscal transparency in the legislative arm of government. According to DA Parliamentary leader George Michalakis, the core of the legal challenge rests on misrepresentation by former presiding officers. The DA alleges that the former Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and National Council of Provinces chairperson Amos Masondo, deliberately misled members of Parliament. The party claims they reportedly induced lawmakers to approve George's appointment based on a substantially lower remuneration package. The DA pointed out that in January 2023, Mapisa-Nqakula and Masondo instructed that George's salary scale be elevated to R4 428 315, backdated to June 2022. The salary was updated despite a formal parliamentary review that strictly capped the Secretary to Parliament's remuneration at R2.6-million to curb an unsustainable wage bill. Michalakis said George was neither among the 81 original applicants nor the 9 shortlisted candidates who applied during the second round of advertisements locked at the lower rate. He highlighted that following George's assumption of office in June 2022, he allegedly worked without a formal employment contract until September 2022. The High Court application follows an escalation of oversight measures by the party. The DA has already submitted formal affidavits to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Public Protector.