R70m paid to more than 3 000 suspended public servants

There are currently 3265 disciplinary cases still outstanding in the public service, which has seen South African taxpayers spend nearly R70 million in salaries for suspended government workers.

This came to light in a response to a Parliamentary question from DA MP Dr Mimmy Gondwe, where Public Service and Administration Minister Noxolo Kiviet said there were currently 427 public servants on suspension with full pay, at least 42 occupying senior positions.

The minister noted that the oldest outstanding cases dated back to 2016 with the latest case being from June 2023.

Suspensions were across government departments and ranged from 30 days to 1 846 days.

In one case, an employee in the Department of Public Service and Administration, who has been on suspension for two years and seven months, had earned close to R4.4 million.

Gondwe said while the country’s labour laws guarantee the rights of all employees to fair disciplinary hearings, the failure by the public service to timeously conclude disciplinary cases is “testament to a system in need of serious reform”.

“Prolonged suspensions affect service delivery as government departments are forced to shoulder the extra workload of an employee on suspension. Of particular concern in the data presented in the written reply is that, 42 public service employees – who occupy senior management positions and earn over R1 million per year, are sitting at home while getting paid to do nothing. The National Framework Towards the Professionalisation of the Public Sector will remain an idealistic vision unless urgent steps are taken to address the administrative deficiencies,” she said.

Unisa lecturer of professional ethics, Mametlwe Sebei, said: “The issue revolves around capacity in the public service, particularly in connection with the outsourcing of legal services. Despite having legal departments for major cases, there's a tendency to contract out, leading to prolonged outcomes. Most legal department’s role is to facilitate tenders of law firms. The end result is there is not internal capacity to handle serious cases especially those involving senior managers that have resources and will acquire very competent legal representation.

“(More) often than not the ANC, simply suspends individuals merely as scapegoats without a serious intent to prosecute, especially when public pressure mounts, with suspensions acting as a way to pacify the public because it often implicates a person at the top.

Corruption in the state is not just an issue of personal misconduct; it implicates the very senior figures at the top, the very staffing of the state corruption goes all the way to the top. The DA raise the issue but they are often the ones suggesting privatisation and outsourcing, contributing to increased government spending on consultants.”

GOOD secretary-general Brett-Herron added that the country would be in a better position if the public service attracted and appointed the best possible employees for the jobs.

“The Public Service Administration Minister and the department need to implement more stringent recruitment practices to ensure that only those qualified and committed to public service get appointed. When an employee is placed on precautionary suspension, pending a disciplinary process, there is a duty on the line management to ensure that the disciplinary process is commenced.”

Cape Times