R35 million paid to suspended employees in five years

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has paid out over R35 million to suspended employees over the past five years.

This is according to a response by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, to a written parliamentary question by Rise Mzansi Member of Parliament Songezo Zibi.

Kubayi said that her department had paid R35,310,106 to 59 employees who had been suspended in the past five financial years.

However, Zibi was particularly interested in the 22 employees who were suspended during the third quarter of the 2024/25 financial year and the reasons for this.

Kubayi explained that ten of these employees were suspended for “financial misconduct and maladministration based on a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) proclamation and the Forensic Audit Unit (FAU) of the department.”

According to the SIU’s report, the officials were accused of maladministration involving several Masters’ Offices, including the unlawful appointment of employees and the remuneration of fictitious individuals.

Kubayi said that the remaining 12 employees were suspended for the following reasons:

• One employee was suspended for assault.
• One employee was suspended for bribery.
• Two employees were suspended for corruption.
• Four employees were suspended for fraud.
• Two employees were suspended for gross dishonesty, insubordination, and contravention of suspension conditions.
• One employee was suspended for unethical behaviour.
• One employee was suspended for unbecoming conduct and a security breach.

Kubayi said that, according to the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council, precautionary suspension should not last longer than 60 days.

However, the department has only concluded 11 of the 22 disciplinary hearings, with the latest being finalised in May.

As for the salaries paid to the 22 suspended employees, Kubayi did not disclose the total amount paid but provided their gross monthly remuneration during the suspension period:

• Three employees were paid between R16,000 and R19,000 per month.
• Four employees were paid between R20,000 and R23,000 per month.
• One employee was paid R35,000 per month.
• Three employees were paid between R42,000 and R46,000 per month.
• Two employees were paid between R74,000 and R79,000 per month.
• Five employees were paid between R81,000 and R87,000 per month.
• Three employees were paid between R97,000 and R105,000 per month.
• One employee was paid R137,000 per month.

Using the average pay from each bracket, these 22 suspended employees cost the department and taxpayers about R1.4 million per month.

However, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is not alone in paying out exorbitant amounts to suspended employees.

The Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, revealed that the Commissioner of the Unemployment Insurance Fund, Teboho Maruping, has been paid R1.4 million since being placed on precautionary suspension in September 2024.

Earlier this year, suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu informed Build One South Africa MP Mmusi Maimane that 11 police members were suspended with full pay as of 16 May 2025.

Mchunu said that the total cost of the officers’ suspensions up to that point was R5.02 million.

Most of this — R3.44 million — was paid to a lieutenant-general who had been suspended with full pay since 8 July 2022, nearly three years by that point.

Another lieutenant-general had cost the South African taxpayer R1.14 million since being suspended on 14 June 2024.

The remaining nine SAPS members, comprising colonels and sergeants, had all been suspended in 2025 and had earned no more than R57,000.