Wikipedia
An Eastern Cape school principal who has been on suspension for a year and eight months on sexual harassment charges has earned more than R880 000 during this time.
He is one of over 200 state employees on suspension who have cost the state more than R17m.
The Minister of Public Service and Administration, Senzo Mchunu, revealed that taxpayers had been paying the salaries of more than 230 employees on lengthy suspensions in provincial and national government departments.
These figures were contained in a reply to questions by the Democratic Alliance in Parliament on the number of civil servants on suspension for more than 60 days.
According to Minister Mchunu, there are 28 state employees in the Eastern Cape who are currently on suspension, 21 are in the Department of Education and the majority face allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault of learners.
Two Eastern Cape Educators are on suspension for financial mismanagement and one was suspended for meting out corporal punishment.
Minister Mchunu said that a teacher in North West, on suspension for more than a year also on sexual harassment allegations, had earned more than R330 000 while his suspension dragged on.
DA MP, Michele Clark, said: "This continued payment of the salaries of suspended individuals due to drawn-out disciplinary processes is unacceptable and unsustainable, especially given the country's lacklustre economic performance and the already bloated public sector wage bill."
She said the Department of Public Service and Administration must put measures in place to ensure that suspensions do not exceed the prescribed time frames of 60 days for completion.
"We cannot afford to waste large sums of money paying civil servants for sitting at home," Clark said.
