DA leader and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen’s earnings have been lifted into the same pay league as Deputy President Paul Mashatile after party-funded top-ups were stacked onto his already high government salary, according to a confidential report.
The report, compiled by former federal finance chairperson Dr Dion George before his departure from the party, reveals how Steenhuisen’s income was deliberately adjusted through internal payments.
“From April 2024 to June 2024, it was increased to R58 344 gross per month; this amount equaled his salary to that of a premier,” George wrote. “After his appointment as minister, R39 560 gross per month is paid.”
Cabinet ministers already earn about R230 000 a month. With the additional R39 560 paid by the DA, Steenhuisen’s earnings move into a bracket comparable to that of the deputy president.
Verified figures place Mashatile’s salary at about R3.28-million annually, or roughly R270 000 a month before deductions and benefits.
Steenhuisen’s pay in line with deputy president’s
“This brings his total salary in line with that of the deputy president,” George wrote.
The report indicates that the payments were built up over time through internal requests and approvals.
“At his request for an additional ‘leader stipend’ payment, an amount of R14 584 per month was paid from 1 June 2021 to January 2022,” reads the report.
“This was increased to R16 950 per month from February 1, 2022, to March 31, 2024.”
The escalation peaked ahead of the 2024 elections, when Steenhuisen’s top-up alone briefly matched premier-level earnings.
Beyond salary top-ups, the report reveals that Steenhuisen also benefited from additional party-funded support, including a credit card facility capped at R10 000 a month.
“Access [to the credit card] was stopped by the chairperson of federal finance in March 2025,” George wrote. “Payments could not be reconciled, and purchases for which the card was not intended were made.”
He added that the system has since been tightened.
“A reimbursable arrangement to a limit of R10 000 per month for party expenditure only.”
Parallel pay structure
While Steenhuisen’s package is impressive, the report shows the system extends across senior DA leaders, layering party income onto public salaries.
MP Mathew Cuthbert and Deputy Finance Minister Ashor Sarupen each receive R50 000 a month before deductions, while National Assembly house chairperson Werner Horn is paid the same amount.
MPs earn from about R110 000 a month, while deputy ministers take home roughly R190 000 monthly before benefits.
Former Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink receives R62 386 monthly from the party, effectively restoring his earnings to the executive mayor level despite no longer holding that office.
Mayors typically earn between R75 000 and R137 000 a month depending on municipality size.
Chief whip George Michalakis receives R9 053 a month on top of his parliamentary salary, while uMngeni mayor Christopher Pappas draws R44,609 monthly after an internal appeal.
“There exists a process for the approval of any additional payment,” George wrote.
“The remuneration sub-committee considers the request. It is approved or not.”
The report, prepared for the DA’s federal executive, exposes a parallel pay structure inside politics, where public office provides the base salary, and party power quietly builds on top of it, lifting some leaders into the highest-earning brackets in government.
