There are about 305 public servants across the country, employed in provincial and national departments, who are on suspension on full salaries, landing the South African taxpayer with a R130m wage bill.
The majority are said to be in KwaZulu-Natal.
This information was revealed by the DA deputy shadow minister of public service and administration (DPSA), Dr Mimmy Gondwe.
Gondwe said this was disclosed in a written reply by the department to a DA parliamentary question.
“According to the written reply by the DPSA, provincial departments account for the bulk of this salary bill having paid R90m in salaries to 226 public servants that are on suspension with full pay, and the province of KwaZulu-Natal is footing most (36%) of this R90m salary bill,” Gondwe said.
National departments have reportedly paid R40m in salaries to 79 public servants who are on suspension with full pay.
The DPSA and public works and infrastructure department are said to be accounting for the bulk of the R40m.
“The written reply by the DPSA is also indicative of the discipline management crisis in the public service. In August this year, the DPSA conceded, during a meeting with the portfolio committee on public service and administration, that there was no discipline management system being implemented in our country’s public service. This has obviously contributed towards the government department's failure to manage disciplinary cases within the time frames stipulated by the public service regulations,” Gondwe said.
She also highlighted that because the written reply reflects a number of gaps regarding the costs of some suspensions, the total cost to the South African taxpayer is higher than the R130m disclosed in the written reply.
The DA has called on the DPSA to urgently develop and implement a discipline management strategy to ensure that what it described as a “crisis” does not continue to come at a great cost to the already burdened taxpayer.
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SA taxpayers footing R130m bill for 305 public servants on suspension
Image: 123RF/ANDRIY POPOV
There are about 305 public servants across the country, employed in provincial and national departments, who are on suspension on full salaries, landing the South African taxpayer with a R130m wage bill.
The majority are said to be in KwaZulu-Natal.
This information was revealed by the DA deputy shadow minister of public service and administration (DPSA), Dr Mimmy Gondwe.
Gondwe said this was disclosed in a written reply by the department to a DA parliamentary question.
“According to the written reply by the DPSA, provincial departments account for the bulk of this salary bill having paid R90m in salaries to 226 public servants that are on suspension with full pay, and the province of KwaZulu-Natal is footing most (36%) of this R90m salary bill,” Gondwe said.
National departments have reportedly paid R40m in salaries to 79 public servants who are on suspension with full pay.
The DPSA and public works and infrastructure department are said to be accounting for the bulk of the R40m.
“The written reply by the DPSA is also indicative of the discipline management crisis in the public service. In August this year, the DPSA conceded, during a meeting with the portfolio committee on public service and administration, that there was no discipline management system being implemented in our country’s public service. This has obviously contributed towards the government department's failure to manage disciplinary cases within the time frames stipulated by the public service regulations,” Gondwe said.
She also highlighted that because the written reply reflects a number of gaps regarding the costs of some suspensions, the total cost to the South African taxpayer is higher than the R130m disclosed in the written reply.
The DA has called on the DPSA to urgently develop and implement a discipline management strategy to ensure that what it described as a “crisis” does not continue to come at a great cost to the already burdened taxpayer.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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