REPLIES by the Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters, to questions I posted in parliament are most revealing. In her replies, the minister admits that the South African taxpayer is essentially funding the salaries of 2575 suspended Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) officials who have been suspended on full pay for the last three years.
Unbelievably, over R37-million has been paid in salaries to suspended Prasa employees who have not been working whilst they earn these wages. Minister Peters’ replies indicate that the majority of suspended employees are subject to “misconduct cases” that “require intense investigations”. One wonders what level of misconduct has been identified to justify such protracted “intense investigations”.
The minister’s answers show how Prasa is dawdling and taking their time in finalising disciplinary matters. Peters’ answers indicate that the reasons for the delays in resolving these matters are due to a “shortage of investigating staff”. Peters says nothing about what is being done to address this shortage, or what the alternative is to bring these matters to a speedy conclusion.
Notwithstanding this lack of resolve, what is most concerning is that Peters then sites interference by trade unions as a further excuse for delays in resolving these disciplinary matters. How can unions be permitted to interfere, beyond their allowable remit, in the efficient progression and resolution of such cases?
While the Democratic Alliance agrees that suspended employees receive full pay, in line with current labour legislation, what is not acceptable is the long-drawn-out time taken to bring these matters to a conclusion despite the excuses put forward by the minister. This is neither fair on the individuals nor efficient use of taxpayer funds.
In the end it is the public purse that is milked as salaries are being paid to employees who sit at home not fulfilling the roles they were appointed to in the first place.
I will be asking additional questions to the minister on what her plan is to stop this ongoing wasteful expenditure.
Manny De Freitas MP
Shadow Minister of Transport
