Suspended state workers paid R130m every year

The South African government is paying a total of R131 million every year to 305 civil servants who are currently under suspension. 

The Department of Public Service and Administration revealed the information earlier in the week after being asked the question in Parliament. 

The figure released by the department means that the average pay handed to the suspended servants amounts to R430,000 per year. 

However, the real figure may be far higher as salary information for several employees under suspension was not disclosed. 

One senior official suspended from the national Department of Agriculture and Land Reform was not accounted for. The provincial health departments in Mpumalanga and Limpopo have 23 suspended officials between them for whom salary details were not provided. 

The suspended official that earns the most while sitting at home is in the public service department, coming in at an annual cost of R4.95 million, Business Insider reported. 

The Department of Home Affairs is responsible for the most suspended employees with around 91 employees being sent home. 

The next department with the greatest number of suspensions is the Department of Higher Education and Training with only 12 suspended employees. 

In terms of location, KwaZulu-Natal is home to the highest number of suspended employees with a total of 75, the majority being in the education and health departments. 

Only a fifth of suspended employees were labelled as senior public servants. 

Along with the suspensions, the public service department revealed that around 3,000 public servants had been fired since the last financial year. 

That amount serves as an increase of 700 employees who were fired, compared to the previous year where only 2,300 officials were fired. 

The reason for the majority of the employees being fired, 2,424 of them to be exact, was explained as “misconduct not indicated”. 

A further three were sacked for falsifying documents, three more for criminal offences, one for perjury and nine others for “unsatisfactory attendance”. 

A total of 354 employees were fired for deserting their posts and another 208 asked to leave with dishonourable discharges. 

Compiled by Dylan Bettencourt

Image source: @BusinessInsider

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