Public office bearers would receive a five percent increase on their total salary packages, two percentage points less than recommended, President Jacob Zuma announced on Friday.

The announcement followed an earlier press briefing by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers where Judge Willie Seriti said the commission was recommending a 7 percent increase in total remuneration packages of all public office bearers for 2010/11 fiscal year.

In the brief statement released by presidential spokesman Harold Maloka, Zuma thanked the Commision for its work and said he had made his decision after "taking into consideration the recommendations of the Commission and other relevant factors."

The salary hikes will take effect from April 2010.

Jacob Zuma should earn R2,367,467, an increase of R112,737 instead of the R157,831 increase that had been recommended.

Seriti said the Commission would be recommending that former president and current deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe be paid a presidential taxable pension from the day he stepped down as president.

Motlanthe served as president from September 25, 2008 to May 6, 2009.

He said that there was nothing precluding office bearers from earning a salary after they leave work.

"The Commission recommends that the current deputy president shall receive the pension benefits of a former President only and no salary for his services as Deputy President, except those benefits and privileges which are necessary to enable the Deputy President to carry out his functions," he said.

Zuma's brief statement made no mention of Motlanthe's salary.