The DA is spending more than R305,000 a month supplementing the incomes of its senior public representatives, a leaked report says.
The confidential report, compiled by former federal finance chair Dion George, sets out how the party pays additional “top-ups” to a small group of senior figures, detailing the amounts involved and the internal processes governing their approval.
These payments are structured as monthly amounts and remain in effect for defined periods — in most cases until the 2026 elections or, in some instances, for the duration of the government of national unity. This indicates they are ongoing. In aggregate, this places the annual cost of the top-ups at more than R3.6m, based on current disclosed figures.
Cilliers Brink, a councillor for the City of Tshwane and former mayor, receives R62,386 a month.
The payment reflects the difference between the salary of a part-time councillor and that of an executive mayor — after the party requested that he remain in Tshwane rather than return to parliament following his removal in September 2024.
The report notes that this arrangement is linked to the DA’s strategic priority in Tshwane ahead of the 2026 elections.
Mathew Cuthbert, an MP and the DA’s head of policy, receives R50,000 a month, linked to responsibilities previously performed by a salaried party employee.
Deputy finance minister Ashor Sarupen, who serves as national campaign manager for the 2026 elections, also receives R50,000 a month, while Werner Horn, a National Assembly house chairperson and deputy national campaign manager, is paid the same amount following a request from the chair of the federal council.
uMngeni mayor Christopher Pappas receives R44,609 a month following an appeal to the federal finance committee after his initial request was rejected by the remuneration subcommittee. The report records that his appeal was supported by senior party leadership and that the payment is conditional on his availability as the party’s mayoral candidate for uMngeni.
Chief whip George Michalakis receives R9,053 a month to compensate for the gap between his current remuneration and what he would have earned as chief whip of the opposition. The report states that, as part of the government of national unity, he is remunerated at the level of an ordinary whip despite leading the second-largest party in parliament.
DA leader and agriculture minister John Steenhuisen receives an additional R39,560 a month.
‘Leader spend’
The report details that his additional remuneration has changed over time: an earlier “leader spend” allowance was increased in stages, at one point aligning his total income with that of a premier, and later, following his appointment to cabinet, aligning his remuneration with that of the deputy president.
The document further records that Steenhuisen previously had access to a party credit card with a R10,000 monthly limit. This was withdrawn in March 2025 after expenses could not be reconciled and some purchases fell outside the intended scope. A reimbursement-based system, limited to party-related expenditure, has since been introduced.
The report also flags additional costs linked to Steenhuisen, including travel and accommodation expenses for adviser Greg Mills, whose role is not formally approved on the party organogram. It states that any compensation paid to Mills by a donor would constitute a donation-in-kind and would require disclosure.
It outlines a structured internal process for approving these payments. Requests are considered by the remuneration subcommittee and, if necessary, escalated to the federal finance committee on appeal.
All approvals are reported to the federal finance committee and the federal executive, which retains the authority to terminate any top-up payments.
The findings are significant in the context of the internal dispute between Steenhuisen and George, who authored the report and is no longer federal finance chair.
The two were at the centre of a dispute over the use of party resources, including disagreements over Steenhuisen’s expenses and broader financial controls in the party.
The matter escalated into formal internal processes, with the federal executive intervening and investigations initiated into aspects of the allegations.
Though Steenhuisen was cleared through internal processes, the dispute deepened divisions in the party and contributed to George’s exit from his leadership role in the federal finance structure.
Beyond current payments, the report addresses historical financial matters. It confirms that no fringe benefits tax was paid by the party on behalf of former leader Mmusi Maimane, despite earlier concerns.
It records that the DA paid rental costs for one year using ring-fenced donor funds, with Maimane himself responsible for the associated tax.
It also details a total reimbursement of R1.364m to Helen Zille to offset pension losses incurred when she moved from parliament to the City of Cape Town at the party’s request. The payment was made in two stages following recalculations by the fund actuary.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.