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Millions of rands have gone to waste paying employees who are on suspension due to either theft, fraud, or misappropriation of company resources.
The Gauteng Liquor Board and Cradle of Humankind continue to paying salaries to senior officials; while general workers claiming that they went without salaries throughout the Covid-19 period, the DA Gauteng spokesperson for economic development, Nicola Du Plessis revealed.
She said it is concerning that some employees of these entities of the Gauteng department of economic development have been on suspension for five years and are still receiving a salary at the expense of taxpayers.
According to Du Plessis, this information was revealed in the Gauteng department of economic development’s first quarterly report for the 2023/2024 financial year.
“Three officials who work for the Gauteng liquor board are currently on suspension, as is one official who works for the Cradle of Humankind.
“Keabetsoe Moeketsi has been on suspension since 23 January 2018 for fraud. She has been paid R1 403 025,75 since then. The suspension has not been lifted yet, pending approval from the Head of Department.
“Molefi Ramoea has been on suspension since 11 January 2021 for theft and has been paid R890 859,02. Khaya Shabangu has been on suspension since 20 June 2023, and has been paid R6 353, 00. All three officials work for the Gauteng Liquor Board,” .
Du Plessis added that Dumisani Ntshangase, an official at the Cradle of Humankind, has been on suspension since 17 February 2020 for the misuse of the departmental petrol card and has been paid R2 792 245,86.
She continued; “In all these cases, the officials have been suspended because there is a reasonable belief that their presence at the office could jeopardise the investigation.
“It is high time that the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) speeds up the process of completing disciplinary hearings. Our residents cannot be held to ransom by officials who benefit from the red tape that prolongs disciplinary process.
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“Through the mechanisms in place at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), we will be engaging with the Department of Economic Development and its entities to ensure that all pending disciplinary cases against suspended officials are concluded speedily to save costs.
“There is a belief that corruption is a victimless crime and that it is the individual senior officials “time to eat”. These millions wasted on senior officials for doing nothing could be used to pay general workers who are doing the work,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, the DA Caucus in Tshwane says it will lay criminal charges against members of the South African municipal workers union (SAMWU) at the Brooklyn Police Station on Friday.
According to Kwena Moloto, the party spokesperson, the charges include conspiracy to commit sabotage, conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.
“We have obtained evidence of the above charges through an anonymous whistleblower. These conspiracies are crimes and will be treated as such. There is no room in the city of Tshwane for threats to security, and the lives of our residents. Evidence will be handed over to the police,” he expressed.