Collen Malatji Says MPs Can’t Be Rich Unless They’re Stealing, South Africans Troll ANCYL Leader
- Collen Malatji has discussed how much Members of Parliament (MPs) earn during a recent podcast appearance
- The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) questioned how some Parliamentarians afforded their lifestyles
- South Africans were not impressed with Malatji, with some noting how many politicians lived the high life
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG - Members of Parliament (MPs) can’t be rich unless they are stealing.
That’s according to Collen Malatji, who weighed in on the salaries of MPs, and what they could afford and what they couldn’t. The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) leader made the comments during an appearance on King David Studio Podcast with host David Mashabela.
Malatji details how much Parliamentarians earn
Speaking about public servants, Malatji noted that to be a nurse, teacher or police officer, you had to have a calling, adding that it wasn’t about the money. Mashabela said the same applied to politicians, to which Malatji agreed.
PAY ATTENTION: Briefly News is now on YouTube! Check out our interviews on Briefly TV Life now!
The ANCYL leader stated that a normal MP only earned a salary of R43,000 after deductions, meaning they could only afford to buy a house in areas like Germiston or Boksburg. He added that they get a car allowance of R12,000 a month, meaning they could drive a normal Mercedes-Benz or BMW, or whatever car they liked within that R12,000 range. He added that they also had a compulsory medical aid cost of around R7,000.
Source: Getty Images
Malatji says Parliamentarians can’t be rich
Malatji said that with the various costs they had, he couldn’t understand how some were rich.
“That’s why if I find an MP who is rich, I don’t know how. There’s no way,” he said.
Mashabela then said, ‘unless they’re stealing’, to which the ANCYL agreed. He added that community members also didn’t expect MPs to be without money, which led to some doing other things just to maintain the image others had of them.
How did South Africans react to the news?
Social media users were not impressed with Malatji’s comments, with some noting that his t-shirt alone was over R2,000.
@jaybug1313 stated:
“You are definitely not poor if you are willing to spend R2690 on a t-shirt😐.”
@NjekaModise added:
“Says someone who drives a car that is worth R2 Million.”
@87Lungstar said:
“Our politicians are not rich. They are swimming in cash.”
@siya6888 asked:
“Manje, where do they get money to buy R20k shoes and belts?”
@Soddy03 noted:
“Same guy wearing a R3k t-shirt by the way. This dude will say anything that brings him closer to Parliamentary membership.”
@ramsclive said:
“100% of MPs live a lifestyle which is more than what they earn. Especially the ANC ones.”
@raliseboo asked?
“So, bo Collen is basically telling us that they are stealing and there's nothing we can do?”
@ClarenceMacheth added:
“Yet he and his cronies spent R800k on alcohol.”
Other stories about Malatji
Briefly News reported that Malatji is no stranger to making comments that spark interaction.
- In January 2025, he joked that Mbuyiseni Ndlozi was invited to join the ANC after the Economic Freedom Fighters leader.
- He also said that Solly Mapaila should join the uMkhonto weSizwe Party if he was unhappy with the ANC.
- In September 2025, he said that the Youth League demanded that no foreigner must own spaza shops.
Source: Briefly News
