Minister of transport, Dipuo Peters has revealed that her department has paid R62.2 million in salaries to suspended workers over the past three years.<\/p>\n
In a written reply to the Democratic Alliance, Peters noted that five employees who work directly for the department were suspended in the 2014\/15 financial year, with full pay.<\/p>\n
They earned a collective R1.05 million for the five months in which they were suspended.<\/p>\n
According to Peters, the suspended employees were placed on “cautionary suspension” – which comes with full pay – while the respective matters were being investigated. The investigations were delayed due to “complexities”, she said.<\/p>\n
In other transport departments – such as\u00a0Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), the\u00a0South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA),\u00a0Air Traffic and Navigation Services and the\u00a0South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) – reasons for suspensions ranged from assault, to unauthorised conduct.<\/p>\n
The DA\u00a0said that the reported figures from Peters\u00a0are “potentially understated” as the response it got from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) only provided monthly salaries without indicating the employees\u2019 length of suspension.<\/p>\n
“Based on (Peters’)\u00a0replies, in the 2014\/15 financial year alone, more than 1,100 employees have been receiving a salaries whilst at home on suspension,” the party said.<\/p>\n
Peters revealed in February that\u00a0Prasa (Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa) has paid as much as R37 million in salaries to suspended employees over the past three years.<\/p>\n
South African taxpayers effectively paid 2,575 suspended Prasa officials – who were suspended on full pay – to sit at home, the DA said.<\/p>\n
Biggest wasteful spenders in SA government<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Leave our \u2018wasteful items\u2019 alone: ANC<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Treasury has barely made a dent in \u2018wasteful\u2019 spending<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n