Department’s wasteful expenditure of R62,2 million an affront to jobseekers

28 April 2016

Whilst millions of South Africans cannot find jobs the Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peter’s, is effectively forking out millions to ensure corrupt and ineffective officials keep theirs.

A written reply to a parliamentary question has revealed that an astronomical R62.2 million was spent on employees suspended with full pay within her department and entities under her ambit in the three financial years leading up to and including 2015. This a mockery to the suffering of the poor and unemployed, who cannot find work.

The Department of Transport (DoT) is acting recklessly by spending millions on suspended employees whilst it is a clear fact that countless South Africans do not have jobs because government claims they cannot afford to pay any more staff.

Even worse, is that this figure is potentially understated as the response from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) merely provided monthly salaries without indicating the employees’ length of suspension. Based on her replies, in the 2014/25 financial year alone, more than 1100 employees have been receiving a salaries whilst at home on suspension.

I will be asking the Minister to institute an investigation into this ongoing, and growing, phenomenon within the DoT and the public service in general. The public has a right to know why employees are allowed to sit at home and get paid their full salaries for doing so.

Whilst we believe that employees have a right to be suspended on full pay, the problem is the length of time it takes for justice to take its course, which results in wasteful expenditure.

We are faced with a gross shortage of jobs, it is beyond reason that the DoT can act so recklessly with taxpayers money and they have done so with impunity. The DA will not rest until the facts are laid bare in public and government executives are held accountable for negligence.

Issued by Manny de Freitas, DA Shadow Minister of Transport, 28 April 2016