Cape Town - The state has had to fork out R25.6m in salaries for 419 employees working for the justice and correctional services department who had been “on suspension with full salary” the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Michael Masutha has reported.
Replying to a question from Sej Motau, a DA MP who asked whether any employees had been on suspension with full salary since January 1 2014, the minister reported that the 419 had been suspended during the period January 1 2014 to January 31 2015.
The total cost at January 31 2015 was R25 688 503.70, the minister reported.
The KwaZulu Natal division of the department was the biggest contributor with 176 employees suspended. They had cost the state R16.36m.
The next biggest contributor to this bill was the suspension of 63 officials of the Western Cape justice and correctional services department. This cost about R3m.
The Eastern Cape has seen 37 officials suspended costing R1.6m.
No details of the reasons for their suspensions were provided in a written reply by the minister.