The Department of Public Service and Administration has published new data showing how much senior government managers are paid.

In a recent parliamentary questions and answer session the minister of public service and administration, Senzo Mchunu, said that national and provincial managers are split into two categories – middle management service and senior management service.

Mchunu said that these managers are remunerated by means of total cost-to-employer packages, which include the following macro benefits:

Employer contribution to the Government Employees Pension Fund;

Employer contribution to a registered medical aid scheme;

13th cheque;

Housing benefit.

Mchunu said the starting level for a middle management service (MMS) manager at the provincial level is R779,435, rising to R947,802.

Senior management service (SMS) managers can earn anywhere between R1,076,222 and R1,984,885.

Position Salary level Government sphere Annual average TCE package MMS 11 National R779 802 MMS 11 Provincial R779 435 MMS 12 National R922 750 MMS 12 Provincial R947 802 SMS 13 National R1 078 267 SMS 13 Provincial R1 076 222 SMS 14 National R1 285 722 SMS 14 Provincial R1 269 755 SMS 15 National R1 557 121 SMS 15 Provincial R1 533 755 SMS 16 National R1 974 067 SMS 16 Provincial R1 984 885

According to the DA – which requested the information from the Department of Public Service and Administration – the government spends close to R30 billion in public money to fund 27,650 managers in the public service.

The party estimates that government spends R7.2 billion per year on middle managers in provincial governments, R6.1 billion on senior managers in provinces, R8.1 billion on middle managers in national government, and R8.3 billion on senior managers in national government.

On average, each of the 9,774 senior managers in national and provincial government takes home R1.4 million annually, with the highest level managers being paid just under R2 million per year.

“If the government cut the number of managers in the public service by half, we could immediately hire an additional 175,000 police officers, 54,000 teachers or 49,000 nurses,” said Dr Leon Schreiber , DA shadow minister of public service and administration.

“In light of these worrying new figures, the DA reiterates our call for a comprehensive public expenditure review and the eradication of cadre deployment.

“The government must urgently rightsize the state by drastically reducing the number of managers in the public service and instead spending those billions on the frontline service delivery workers that create opportunities for citizens to prosper,” he said.

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