The Mpumalanga government spent nearly R10-million on the salaries of employees who are on suspension in the past financial year.

Majority of the 38 employees have been on suspension for periods exceeding 60 days, in "violation of the Disciplinary Codes and Procedure for Public Service Policy and the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) Public Service Precautionary Suspensions Guide, which stipulates that the period of a precautionary suspension should not exceed 60 days", the DA in the province said.

The government had spent a total of R9.2-million to pay the salaries in one year.

DA provincial leader James Masango said at the top of the list was the provincial department of health with the suspensions of 30 employees who were paid a total of R4.1-million, according to the department's 2015/2016 annual report.

Then followed the provincial legislature, having paid out R2.9-million to 5 employees on suspension.

Department of health spokesman Dumisani Malamule said: "[The] precautionary suspensions are emanating from fraud and corruption, gross negligence and maladministration. The investigations are at an advanced stage, since some of the reports have already been received [and] disciplinary hearings finalised.

"The department is ensuring that it expedites its internal investigations as well as external investigations .," Malamule said.

Provincial legislature spokeswoman Zama Memela-Gamede said seven employees were initially suspended in the year under review.

"Out of the seven cases that the legislature has been dealing with, two of them have been concluded. The investigations on all the matters have been finalised and all the remaining cases are before the disciplinary committee of the legislature," she said.

"All suspended employees are in managerial positions. I can only confirm that the suspensions are based on various acts of misconduct, including financial mismanagement, maladministration and matters relating to code of ethics."

She confirmed that the suspensions were with full pay.

The department of education spent R237000 on seven employees while social development and community safety, security and liaison paid R883475 to 11 officials and R526209 on 10 staff members, respectively.

Said Masango: "Government officials sitting at home for wrongdoing are being paid handsomely by their respective departments. The DA can also reveal that just over R3-million had been spent on suspended officials in the previous (2014/2015) financial year. It is concerning that in the space of one year this figure has tripled."

He said had policies and guidelines been followed, it would have "eliminated the unnecessary expenditure".