The Eastern Cape government has spent almost R4-million on salaries of employees sitting at home on precautionary suspension.
Eight officials from three departments - public works, education and transport - have been paid over R3.9-million while at home.
This was revealed by premier Phumulo Masualle in a written parliamentary reply to questions posed by DA shadow MEC for finance Bobby Stevenson.
Responding to one of the questions, Masualle said as of the end of the second quarter of the 2015-2016 financial year (September 30 2015), there were eight officials on precautionary suspension in the departments - three from the department of roads and public works, four from the department of transport and one from the education department.
Masualle said of the eight officials, two have been suspended for between nine and 12 months. The officials have been suspended for offences the departments were not willing to make public. Department of roads and public works spokesman Mphumzi Zuzile said cases involving the three officials were near completion.
"I can confirm that three officials are under suspension dating back from February 2015. Their [disciplinary] cases are sitting, and one is almost due for conclusion," he said.
However, when asked to identify the officials, Zuzile said the department could not disclose their names.
"We cannot name the officials involved. According to labour relations regulations, the said officials were suspended with full pay."
Questions sent to the departments of education and transport had not been answered at the time of going to print yesterday.
The education official in the group is likely Eastern Cape's education superintendent-general Mthunywa Ngonzo. He has been suspended since July 2014 over an irregular R46-million tender.
He has been receiving his full salary, reportedly R1.6-million, ever since. In October 2014, Ngonzo took the department to court and won the case. Although he was told to return to work, he was placed on special leave by premier Masualle.
Stevenson bemoaned the slow pace of disciplinary processes.
"Departmental disciplinary hearings must be speeded up and finalised quicker to ensure that unnecessary, wasteful expenditure does not occur.
"It is unfair on the officials to have to wait so long for cases to be resolved. It's also unfair for departments to operate without their full staff complement," Stevenson said.
He said he would be sending follow-up questions to the premier, asking for reasons for the delays in the cases of suspended officials.
State spends R4m on idle officials' wages
The Eastern Cape government has spent almost R4-million on salaries of employees sitting at home on precautionary suspension.
Eight officials from three departments - public works, education and transport - have been paid over R3.9-million while at home.
This was revealed by premier Phumulo Masualle in a written parliamentary reply to questions posed by DA shadow MEC for finance Bobby Stevenson.
Responding to one of the questions, Masualle said as of the end of the second quarter of the 2015-2016 financial year (September 30 2015), there were eight officials on precautionary suspension in the departments - three from the department of roads and public works, four from the department of transport and one from the education department.
Masualle said of the eight officials, two have been suspended for between nine and 12 months. The officials have been suspended for offences the departments were not willing to make public. Department of roads and public works spokesman Mphumzi Zuzile said cases involving the three officials were near completion.
"I can confirm that three officials are under suspension dating back from February 2015. Their [disciplinary] cases are sitting, and one is almost due for conclusion," he said.
However, when asked to identify the officials, Zuzile said the department could not disclose their names.
"We cannot name the officials involved. According to labour relations regulations, the said officials were suspended with full pay."
Questions sent to the departments of education and transport had not been answered at the time of going to print yesterday.
The education official in the group is likely Eastern Cape's education superintendent-general Mthunywa Ngonzo. He has been suspended since July 2014 over an irregular R46-million tender.
He has been receiving his full salary, reportedly R1.6-million, ever since. In October 2014, Ngonzo took the department to court and won the case. Although he was told to return to work, he was placed on special leave by premier Masualle.
Stevenson bemoaned the slow pace of disciplinary processes.
"Departmental disciplinary hearings must be speeded up and finalised quicker to ensure that unnecessary, wasteful expenditure does not occur.
"It is unfair on the officials to have to wait so long for cases to be resolved. It's also unfair for departments to operate without their full staff complement," Stevenson said.
He said he would be sending follow-up questions to the premier, asking for reasons for the delays in the cases of suspended officials.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos