Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

05 May 2026

2-minute read

SA taxpayers are losing R800million a year to public servants who have been suspended indefinitely. The most recent among them are national police commissioner Fannie Masemola and police minister Senzo Mchunu, bringing the total public servants who are on suspension with full pay to just over 670.

Wits Professor Alex van den Heever says that in certain cases, people are put on suspension to “move them out positions of accountability,” or to protect them, and to create the impression that a process of accountability is being undertaken and they are being dealt with. These suspects complete their contracts at home and are then moved to another job or resurface in another department. Thus these 2 activities of “protecting the bad apples,” and “removing the good apples so that bad apples can actually act in their positions” continues unabated.

Prolonged suspensions are indicative of corruption in public sector organizations. A precautionary suspension should be concluded within 60 days and a municipal one within 90 days, Prof van den Heever further states. After this period, the case becomes unauthorised with irregular spending expenditure which should be documented by the accounting officers, the people who are “allowing these suspensions to continue indefinitely”. The accounting officers themselves can be held liable for the loss of funds through their actions.

Corrupt departments and municipalities are also employing ghost workers – people who do not pitch up for work – but proving this would require a full audit of personnel by the auditor general.

Ultimately, addressing these unchecked suspensions is essential to restoring accountability and safeguarding public resources for all South Africans.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Prof Alex van den Heever.