Scorpio cuts through Parliament's obfuscation around Secretary to Parliament Xolile George's exorbitant salary and allegedly questionable contract negotiations - R5-million is the total annual package George currently receives, Scorpio can confirm.

Secretary to Parliament Xolile George's package is 92% more than the legal parameters for the position. George was appointed in line with due process on a R2.6-million annual package in June 2022.

After seven months of heated battles fought in parliamentary corridors over his salary - an allegation strongly denied - George's package was quietly increased and backdated to an allegedly exorbitant R4.4-million from the date of appointment.

The package was calculated based on what seems to be a misrepresentation of a remuneration consultancy report and directly in conflict with an earlier decision by the Executive Authority to cap the secretarial salary. Since then, George's already questionable package increased further to just more than R5-million per year.

This was thanks to what an independent labour lawyer termed two "highly questionable" salary increases in eight months, sanctioned by union Nehawu. The union has oddly acted as the guardian angel to George, the employer of union members, even before his employment.

Scorpio can further lift the veil around the Secretary's contract deliberations. When requesting a copy of his contract in June 2022, Members of Parliament were met with opaque explanations, strong assurances and a generic draft.

Scorpio has seen contradictory evidence that...