“Is It True?”: Envy Hits South Africans After Ekurhuleni Legal Head Debunks 7-Figure Salary Claim

• A woman shared testimony from the Madlanga Commission, revealing that Ekurhuleni's head of legal services earns over R2 million
• Khemraj Behari denied receiving a R600,000 loyalty bonus and clarified his salary was R2,088,551 per year, not per month
• South Africans reacted with shock and frustration, questioning how government officials earn such high salaries while many struggle

A woman who posts political content on TikTok had South Africans feeling the sting of income inequality. The TikTok user @mantlhwa_m shared footage of the hearing regarding Khemraj Behari after his suspension on 9 February 2026 with the caption:

"Kemi, head of legal in Ekurhuleni, salary 2,088,551 million."

She stopped the testimony footage to ask if people heard how much Ekurhuleni's head of legal services earns. The amount was R2,088,551. She struggled to pronounce his surname, but made it clear that Khemraj "Kemi" Behari's salary shocked her. She pointed out the irony of regular people getting excited over a R370 grant.

Read also

"Imagine Cat as a president": Mzansi swoons as Cat Matlala’s softer side shines thanks to his wife

The woman claimed he also received a R600,000 loyalty bonus on top of his salary. She connected this to the controversy involving EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi, suggesting Behari got rewarded instead of being held accountable for not doing his job properly.

However, Behari testified before the Madlanga Commission on 10 February 2026 and denied receiving any of the supposed loyalty bonus. He explained his promotion to head of legal and risk services on 1 June 2023 didn't even come with a financial benefit at first. His new salary of R2,055,000 was actually lower than the R2,088,551 he earned in his previous role.

Behari explained there was no loyalty bonus and that the allegations were meant to damage his reputation.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

Mzansi baffled by Ekurhuleni salaries

Social media users had strong reactions to the salary discussion on TikToker @mantlhwa_m's clip asking why they were paid so much:

@ms_tdee clarified:

"No one earns that much in government per month. It's per year, which is reasonable because it's roughly R170k pm."

@obakeng1235 asked:

"Per year or per month?"

@masek101 explained:

"2 million annually, my sister. Around 170k per month + bonus and overtime."

Read also

Sihle Dambuza silences haters after wife City Makoti's post on being the breadwinner

@risenga questioned:

"These salaries and bonuses are more like looting. Is there accountability in that municipality?"

@amashamy1 said:

"No wonder we have so much unemployment."

@mark reacted:

"Yassis 😂 How can these people earn so much? Nobody should earn that much."

@user408083548438 stated:

"Ekurhuleni municipality is rotten to the core."

@zula complained:

"Last year 1 July 2025, they took our R126 to every Ekurhuleni municipality. When we asked them, they said it's for services which we are not getting."

@patjaza vented:

"They didn't give us uniforms for 9 years. They earn massive bonuses."

@mario added:

"The problem is that tax is taken before we even get our salary. I bet you if tax was like electricity or water, many of us wouldn't pay them."

More on the Madlanga Commission

• Briefly News recently reported on former legal head Kemi Behari implicating DJ Sbu and TK Nciza as key beneficiaries in disputed EMPD transactions.
• Nota Baloyi broke his silence after DJ Sbu and TK Nciza were mentioned at the commission.
• Paul O'Sullivan told the media that three rogue generals in the police deserve to be in jail, but South Africans questioned why he left out one notable name.

Source: Briefly News