Taxpayers paid over R25 million for South African police officers to sit at home

Taxpayers paid over R25 million to suspended members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) between 1 April 2024 and 1 October 2025.

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia revealed this in response to a written question from RISE Mzansi Member of Parliament Makashule Gana.

Cachalia told Gana that R13.2 million was paid to 149 suspended officers during the 2024/25 financial year.

A further R12.2 million was spent on salaries of 84 suspended officers in the following six months.

Based on this, the party predicts that the figure for the entire 2025/26 financial year will surpass that of 2024/25.

In 2025, 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 that year.

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 prior.

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

However, Gana said that what is even more concerning than the millions paid to these officers is the charges that they are facing.

These include, but are not limited to:

• Rape;
• Extortion;
• Corruption;
• Defeating the course of justice;
• Robbery; and
• Hijacking.

“The SAPS Code of Conduct commits South Africa’s women and men in blue to a higher standard of integrity; it is therefore unacceptable that such gross misconduct is found within the SAPS,” Gana argued.

“While we acknowledge that there are almost 200,000 SAPS officers, and that there are hardworking and ethical members of the Service, it is not acceptable to have even a handful of fraudsters, rapists, murderers, and the like don the badge.”

The parliamentarian said that he would raise the matter with the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police to request a detailed briefing from the SAPS top brass, as well as the leadership of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).

“Furthermore, I will submit additional written questions to ascertain how many of these serious cases resulted in SAPS officers being shown the door,” said Gana.

“We cannot build a safe, prosperous, equal, and united South Africa when those tasked with keeping us safe and secure are compromised.”

Not unique to the police

Keeping suspended employees on the payroll is common among government departments in South Africa.

In October, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi informed RISE Mzansi MP Songezo Zibi that her department had paid over R35 million to 59 suspended employees over the past five 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 Master’s Offices, including the unlawful appointment of employees and the payment of remuneration to 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 violating the conditions of their suspension.
• One employee was suspended for unethical behaviour.
• One employee was suspended for engaging in unbecoming conduct and committing 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 2025.