Lengthy suspensions milking the public purse
22 June 2020
The Democratic Alliance (DA) can reveal that both provincial and national government departments have wasted more than R17 million paying salaries of suspended officials.
In reply to a DA Parliamentary question, which asked for details of public servants who have been on suspension for more than 60 days with full pay, the Minister of Public Service and Administration, Senzo Mchunu, disclosed that South African taxpayers have been paying salaries for over 230 employees on lengthy suspensions in provincial departments, and 50 in national departments. See here and here
The reasons for suspension range from allegations of corruption, bribery, endangering the lives of colleagues, kidnapping and gender-based violence. Many of the suspensions are of teachers that are being accused of sexual assault and harassment of, or improper relationships with, learners in their care.
Notable examples include: