Pity the poverty-stricken parliamentarian
Given their struggle, we should not begrudge them their other perks, like subsidised housing and free air tickets.
Of all the heartbreaking stories of financial hardship in South Africa, none is more moving than that of our members of parliament who are, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, struggling to make ends meet on their pitiful salaries of R100,000 a month.
Indeed, the stress of the worry causes many of them sleepless nights, such that when they are present at debates in the National Assembly, some of them cannot help but nod off due to exhaustion.
Briefing the media in parliament this week, Ramaphosa said the parliamentarians were “cut to the bone because they have had no meaningful increase for quite a while”.
He added: “I have seen members of parliament, who publicly seem to be living it up, but they are not.
“The work we take on or impose on them as MPs is quite costly; many of them don’t end up making ends meet.”
That is why he has approved an increase of 2.8% for the suffering legislators.
It is a comfort, in these tough times, to know we taxpayers are not the only ones battling … but at least our taxes are being spent wisely.
