In the 2024/25 financial year, the Tshwane Metro paid more than R37 million in salaries to suspended officials who are sitting at home awaiting their disciplinary hearings.
According to a report by the Metro’s Corporate and Shared Services Department, there are currently 27 employees on suspension – 23 have been waiting for their hearings for longer than three months.
The average cost per employee exceeds R1,37 million per year – an expense covered by taxpayers, while no work is performed.
These needless delays stem from poor internal administration.
The Metro primarily relies on external contractors, often law firms from Johannesburg, who charge high rates to act as prosecutors and presiding officers.
In addition, a serious cause for concern is that cases are deliberately dragged out, as it is rumoured that certain officials or contractors allegedly derive financial benefit from the delays.
The Freedom Front Plus wrote to the Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi, insisting that binding deadlines be introduced for the finalisation of disciplinary cases.
Line managers who allow hearings to needlessly drag on should be held accountable. The appointment of external law firms should also be thoroughly reviewed, with a possible corruption probe into relationships between officials and contractors. Moreover, the Human Resources Department should urgently be overhauled to put an end to this squandering of public funds.
The Freedom Front Plus refuses to stand idly by while officials are paid millions for months, or even years, while doing nothing.
The current administration has to accept accountability and stop the squandering.
