Government stats: sick and suspended

THE government has paid a massive R412 million to 7 830 public servants who have been on long periods of sick leave, between January 2016 and August 2017.

This was revealed by Public Service Administration Minister Faith Muthambi this week, responding to a written parliamentary question from the United Democratic Movement’s Cynthia Majeke. Majeke asked about the number of civil servants on long-period sick leave and the costs incurred by the government.

Muthambi said 1 171 civil servants in national departments were paid for sick leave between July 2016 and August 2017, at a cost of R73 584 892.

A further R338 992 685 was paid to 6 759 employees in the provinces in the same period.

KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape had the most civil servants on long periods of sick leave. The Western Cape had 772 employees, followed by Gauteng with 717, the Free State 688, the Northern Cape 429, Mpumalanga 433 and Limpopo 417.

North West had the least employees at 394.

Muthambi also revealed that taxpayers had paid a whopping R38 627 159 in salaries since April 2017 to 174 civil servants who had been suspended while disciplinary hearings were pending.

Responding to the DA’s Desiree van der Walt, Muthambi said R37 199 451 was paid to suspended employees by the provinces, while R1 427 708 was incurred by national departments.