Suspended SAPS members cost taxpayer R6.4 million in just one year

24 March 2015

A reply to a DA parliamentary question reveals that since 1 January 2014, 187 South African Police Service (SAPS) members have been suspended on full pay, costing the taxpayer R6.4 million in just one year, or R540 000 per month.

This is the latest example of the skewed spending of a budget that should be focused on the fight against crime and capacitation of the SAPS. Just this Sunday it was reported that R40 million of taxpayers' money is being used for a music bash, the 23rd Police Music and Cultural Unity Festival (POLMUSCA). Moreover, earlier this year the National Police Commissioner spent in excess of R20 million rand to hire image consultants while the SAPS already has a raft of communications personal paid for by the taxpayer.

This frivolous spending cannot continue while South Africa experiences one of the worst crime rates in the world, with the murder rate back up to 47 per day. 

Furthermore, these police officers are often under investigation for serious crimes such as murder, attempted murder, rape and theft. It must be guaranteed that when a charge is brought against an official, it is followed by a rapid and effective investigation, after which the relevant individual must be reinstated, or dismissed, arrested and tried in a court of law.

One of the highest-profile suspended personnel is Richard Mdluli - who as the Head of the SAPS Crime Intelligence Unit - has sat at home on suspension with full pay since 3 June 2012, with a National Police Commissioner dragging her heels on instituting the disciplinary hearing she had to be instructed by the courts to hold. He also faces a raft of charges in court but sits at home doing nothing while raking in millions of rands of taxpayers' money.

I have written to the Chairperson of the Police Portfolio Committee, Francois Beukman, requesting he summon the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to the Committee to account for these suspensions. In particular, IPID must clarify the following:

Of the 187 suspended SAPS members, how many were still suspended after a full year at home on full pay 

How many are currently still suspended;

How many disciplinary hearings were initiated within the regulated 60 days from the date of suspension, in accordance the Disciplinary Code and Procedures for the Public Service;

What consequences there are for station heads who fail to initiate the disciplinary hearings timeously in terms of the regulations, and

What measures are being taken to combat the high prevalence of misconduct within SAPS.

The sheer inefficiency within IPID to timeously process these suspensions is unacceptable, and the taxpayer should not carry this burden. IPID simply cannot drag its feet with these suspensions, and must account to the Portfolio Committee in this regard.

Text of parliamentary reply:

36/1/4/1/201500068

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 538

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 6 MARCH 2015

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 5-2015)

538. Mr W Horn (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:

Whether any employees in his department have been on suspension with full salary since 1 January 2014; if so, (a) how many employees and (b) what is the total cost thereof?

NW618E

REPLY:

Yes.

(a) Since 1 January 2014, a total number of 187 employees were suspended with salary.

(b) The total cost is R 6 395 778. 74.

ENDS

Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard MP, DA Shadow Minister of Police, March 24 2015

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