Millions spent on absent employees

THE KWAZULU-Natal Department of Social Development is spending millions of rand on staff sitting at home on suspension, or who are absent from work due to other reasons.

The department has spent close to R8million on about 10 absent staff members, some of whom have not been at work for five years.

Eight of the 10 suspended officials earn more than R80 000 a month, meaning they are at a senior level. This is according to information supplied in parliamentary replies by the department to the DA.

The replies also showed that 130 officials took a total of 343 sick days during the past financial year.

“Most shocking is the discovery that the department has forked out a staggering R7.4m on those who are suspended,” said DA spokesperson on social development Elma Rabe.

The report showed that one individual – who earned about R241 000 – had been at home for 67 months, earning a whopping R1.6m over that period. Another staff member had been away from work for 61 months, and had earned slightly over R1.5m over that period.

However, the department said yesterday that those two officials were no longer being paid. Three more staff members have been away from work for eight months, and have earned more than R700 000 over that same period.

“The DA is extremely alarmed by these findings,” said Rabe. “Given the overall high absenteeism rate, it is little wonder that this department cannot perform even the most basic of functions, including the proper distribution of food parcels during a pandemic.”

IFP spokesperson on social development Les Govender said it was concerning that senior staff members were on suspension. “Even the chief financial officer is on suspension. We cannot have so many people sitting at home and the taxpayers’ money being used to pay people that are sitting at home with the rest of the staff being made to carry the load.”

Department spokesperson Mhlaba Memela said there has been gross distortion of facts in the statement issued by the DA, misleading the public regarding suspension of officials.

He said two officials on long suspension had been dismissed; they had since taken the matter to arbitration, but the department was no longer paying them.

They had been implicated in the incorrect handling of grants.