The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) says it rejects President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to grant a 3.5% salary increase to members of the national executive, members of Parliament, provincial premiers, members of provincial executive councils, and provincial legislators.

Exception

But the federation makes an exception for the separate 4% increase for judges.

Ramaphosa’s office announced on Tuesday that, following recommendations by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers, and the consideration of serious economic challenges facing the country, he made the determination. The 3.5% increase will apply to Members of the National Executive and Members of the National Assembly.

Permanent Delegates to the National Council of Provinces, Premiers, members of provincial executive councils, and members of provincial legislatures will also receive this increase.

The 4% adjustment will apply to judges of the Constitutional Court, judges of other courts, and magistrates. Traditional leaders, members of the National and Provincial Houses of traditional and Khoi-San leaders, and members of independent constitutional institutions will also receive a 4% increase.

Mandated

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says the commission is mandated in terms of section 219(1), (2) and (5) of the Constitution, read with section 8(4) of the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers Act, 1997 (Act No. 92 of 1997), to make annual recommendations relating to salaries or the upper limits of salaries, allowances and benefits of public office-bearers.

According to Magwenya, in arriving at its decision, the commission considered, among others, comments and inputs from stakeholders; the role, status, duties, functions and responsibilities of the public office-bearers concerned; economic variables, including fiscal affordability, historic inflation, future inflation forecasts, wage settlement data, and the commission’s prior recommendations; the president’s determination for the previous financial year; and average annual wage increments.

“President Ramaphosa thanks the commission for its diligence and careful scrutiny in preparing its recommendations. He urges public office-bearers to uphold their mandates and honour the public trust and expectations associated with their varied responsibilities,” says Magwenya.

SAFTU says it agrees with the increases for judges and magistrates.

“The independence and proper functioning of the judiciary are essential to our constitutional democracy. That position cannot be used to justify increasing the pay of political office-bearers while millions of people struggle to find work, put food on the table, and access basic services. This decision is indefensible in a country where, in the second quarter of 2026, 8.5 million people were officially unemployed and another 4.6 million formed part of the potential labour force,” the federation says.

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Unemployment

“That means 13.1 million people were unemployed or part of the potential labour force. The broader unemployment measure, LU3, stood at 43.8%, while the composite labour-underutilisation measure, LU4, was 46.3%. These figures describe a catastrophe, not a labour market in which political leaders should be rewarding themselves,” says SAFTU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi in a statement.

According to Vavi, the 3.5% decision is not an abstract percentage. “Based on the current annual remuneration packages, it adds R97 725 a year to a minister’s package and R46 304 a year to that of an ordinary MP or permanent NCOP delegate. That is approximately R8 144 and R3 859 more per month, respectively, before tax and other deductions. A Deputy President or National Assembly Speaker receives an additional R114 972 a year.”

“SAFTU calls on the President and Parliament to reverse the 3.5% increases for political office-bearers. At a time when millions are unemployed, and households are being pushed deeper into hardship, leadership must be measured by service to the people, not by higher pay for those already entrusted with governing them,” he says.

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