Mzamo Buthelezi, Minister of Public Service and Administration. (Photo: X/CPSI South Africa)
The DA has requested the chairman of the parliamentary portfolio committee on public service and administration to urgently summon Mzamo Buthelezi, minister of public service and administration, to account for the “shocking misuse of public funds”.
This follows media reports that around R800 million of taxpayers’ money is spent annually on the salaries of hundreds of suspended civil servants. Many of them have been sitting at home for years while their cases languish unfinished.
Sunday Times reported earlier that a deputy director in the department of women, youth and persons with disabilities, who was already suspended in 2018 and was later found guilty of financial mismanagement, received more than R5 million while his position has since been filled by someone else.
Meanwhile, 674 provincial and national officials have been suspended, of whom 516 for longer than 90 days – despite disciplinary processes which, according to the public service code, must be completed within that time. Nine officials were suspended for more than a year and five for more than two years.
These figures do not include the 257 municipalities. Here, no central data exists, although it is estimated that many suspensions occur precisely at the local government level.
A recent case in Emfuleni shows that two officials who were suspended seven years ago have already received R9 million, while 22 employees were collectively paid R23.9 million without working.
Eleanore Spies, DA-MP, says the situation is “not a minor administrative problem, but a serious collapse of accountability in all spheres of government”.
The report shows that at least 674 national and provincial officials are currently suspended and most for longer than the prescribed 90 days. In some cases, officials remain on paid suspension for years, even after disciplinary processes have been completed.
Municipalities, which are already under financial pressure, are the hardest hit according to the DA, with millions of rands being lost due to prolonged and unresolved suspensions.
There is also growing concern that long suspensions are being misused – either to quietly remove officials from their posts, or to delay accountability processes so that malpractice continues.
Mzamo Buthelezi, Minister of Public Service and Administration. (Photo: www.gov.za)
“Service delivery is collapsing in many communities and every rand counts. It is unacceptable that so much public money is spent on officials who do not work and are not called to account,” said Spies.
The DA insists that the minister must now appear before the committee. According to the party, he must:
- explain why disciplinary processes frequently exceed legal time frames
- sets out clear steps to ensure that suspensions are properly managed and timed
- present a plan to recover funds where maladministration or abuse has occurred
The party also wants the minister to deal with the apparent lack of oversight at departments and the lack of consequences for those responsible for delays.
“South Africans deserve a public service that is accountable, efficient and focused on service delivery, not one in which employees are paid for years while matters drag on without resolution,” said Spies.
The DA says it will continue to use all parliamentary mechanisms at its disposal to enforce accountability and protect public funds.