Natasha Mazzone's salary cut? This is how much she could now earn after stepping down as DA chief whip

The restructuring in the DA may see a cut in the salary of former chief whip Natasha Mazzone.

The official opposition on Thursday announced Mazzone is stepping down from her position with immediate effect. 

She will represent the DA in the joint standing committee on intelligence, with a specific focus on overhauling the oversight model of the state security apparatus. Mazzone will also serve as the national security adviser to DA leader John Steenhuisen. 

Siviwe Gwarube is the new DA chief whip in the National Assembly.

Gwarube was appointed the party's national spokesperson in November 2020. TimesLIVE understands this role will be resumed by Solly Malatsi who was the party’s mouthpiece for two years between 2018 and 2020. He will do the job alongside MP Cilliers Brink.

How much will Mazzone now earn? 

According to the latest Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers Act, Mazzone earned a package of R1,386,619 as chief whip. 

As MP she will earn R1,172,071. If she is made a chairperson of a committee, that will increase to R1,540,628 annually. The intelligence committee is currently chaired by ANC MP Jerome Joseph Maake.

Salary increases were announced in June after President Cyril Ramaphosa accepted recommendations to increase the salaries of politicians and other government officials by 3%.

Ramaphosa said the salary increases would be backdated to April last year and apply to all categories of public office-bearers, including ministers and their deputies, premiers, MECs, MPs, MPLs, traditional leaders and judges. 

Those employed by independent constitutional institutions such as the offices of the public protector, auditor-general and Electoral Commission, also received a 3% pay increase.

What do the total remuneration packages include?

Remuneration packages are structured as follows:

• A basic salary component equal to 60% of the total package, which constitutes the pensionable salary.
• An amount of R120,000 per annum as per section 8(1)(d) of the Income Tax Act. This amount is included in the basic salary component.
• An employer’s pension benefit contribution equal to 22.5% of pensionable salary.
• A flexible portion for the remaining amount of the total remuneration.