Then and now: A look at presidential salaries from Nelson Mandela in 1994 to Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018
- President Cyril Ramaphosa will earn a salary of R3.6 million in 2018
- Nelson Mandela’s salary in 1994 was R700 000 or adjusted for inflation R997 000 and Thabo Mbeki earned R1.1 million per year
- Jacob Zuma earned R2.9 million in his final year as president
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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) recently called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to donate his presidential salary to hospitals so they could use the money for much-needed upgrades.
The EFF said Ramaphosa who is a billionaire does not need his salary because he is worth an estimated R4.7-R5.2 billion and is the 12th richest person in South Africa.
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South Africans were left slightly shocked when it was announced earlier this year that Ramaphosa would earn R700 000 per year more than his predecessor Jacob Zuma.
Briefly.co.za decided to take a look at how much our presidents have earned, we start with Nelson Mandela in 1994 and end with Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018.
Nelson Mandela 1994 R997 000
Our first democratically elected and arguably most loved president, Nelson Mandela took office on 10 May 1994. His salary at the time was R700 000 which adjusted for inflation would equate to roughly R997 000.
When he first heard about his salary Mandela said it was way too much, he and his cabinet took a voluntary pay cut of 20% for the duration of his presidency.
He is also widely reported to have donated large parts of his salary to charitable causes.
Thabo Mbeki 2008 salary R1.1 million
South Africa’s second president earned R1.1 million per year by the time he was forced out of office by Jacob Zuma.
Jacob Zuma 2017 salary R2.9 million per year
Jacob Zuma in addition to being known as the Teflon President is also sometimes referred to as the billion dollar president. This has more to do with his vastly expanded benefits package than his personal wealth.
Cyril Ramaphosa 2018 salary R3.6 million
Ramaphosa’s salary might seem huge, but he earns only a third as much as Vodacom boss Shameel Joosub and less than Shoprite CEO Whitey Basson.
Ramaphosa could easily earn much, much more in the private sector if he so pleases, which at least proves he isn’t playing at being president to enrich himself.
Not included in these figures are former president’s pensions, travel allowances, security personnel and spousal allowance or medical aid.
All presidents and former presidents are entitled to VIP protection for themselves and spouses, private vehicles, full medical aid provided by military and of course upgrades to their personal homes.
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Chances are that you have heard of Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, two of the richest people in the world, but can you name one of Africa's top 5 richest men? We have compiled this amazing video which brings you Africa's richest 5 people. Briefly South Africa's YouTube Channel.
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Source: Briefly News
