Magistrates are demanding a salary increase, saying they earn less than Members of Parliament, traditional leaders, and mayors.

The Association of Regional Magistrates has approached the South Gauteng High Court, to push for the increase, but their legal bid was dealt a setback when the Presidency filed papers at the eleventh hour.

The matter was subsequently struck off the roll.

President of the association Magistrate Ian Cox, says the 34% increase is not a ‘thumb suck’, but rather based on recommendations from the Independent Remuneration Commission (IRC). 

According to Cox, the commission is the one that makes recommendations to the President regarding the determination of their salaries.

“This is not an annual cost-of-living adjustment. It is a correction of the wrongs of the past 10 to 15 years, where we’ve been receiving sub-inflation increases of up to 2%,” Cox explains.

When the matter went to court on Monday, it was found that the President had referred the recommendation back to the IRC for reconsideration. 

Cox says the association asked for the matter to be removed from the roll, and costs were awarded  due to the manner in which the President's legal team litigated the matter. 

He says they still have the option of returning to court should the President's legal representatives not act within a reasonable time to get some relief.

*This article was first published by eNCA