Ekurhuleni paid suspended officials over R8m amid disciplinary cases, says DA

Democratic Alliance mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane has lambasted the City of Ekurhuleni for wasting millions of rands on suspended officials facing allegations of corruption, fraud and sexual harassment.

Khathutshelo’s assertions follow a response she received to a question she posed in the legislature about the status of disciplinary cases in the city.

In her questions to Gauteng MEC for corporate governance and traditional affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, Rasilingwane asked Mamabolo to provide the total number of suspended officials in Ekurhuleni.

She had also asked for a breakdown of the total money spent on salaries of the suspended officials, their positions and the status of their disciplinary hearings

“Today, the Democratic Alliance exposes how 17 suspended Ekurhuleni officials are being paid over R8m while disciplinary processes remain unresolved, including cases involving serious allegations such as corruption,” Rasilingwane said.

According to a response prepared by the embattled city manager, Kagiso Lerutla, of the 17 suspended officials, seven of them hold managerial positions.

Mamabolo presented the response to the legislature.

The breakdown showed that four of the suspended employees are from top management, one from senior management, one from middle management, one from junior management, and 10 are semi-skilled workers.

Rasilingwane said the response further revealed that eight officials have been suspended for longer than the legally stipulated 90-day guideline for disciplinary finalisations.

She questioned who was protecting the suspended officials.

“The questions are simple: who is protecting these dodgy officials? Is it ANC mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, the corruption-accused city manager Kagiso Lerutla, or both,” she asked.

Mamabolo also stated that of the 17 suspended employees, nine are still under investigation, while eight are at different stages of disciplinary committee proceedings.

“As soon as the investigation is finalised, the suspension is uplifted and the employee returns to their work or is transferred to a different portfolio depending on the nature of the misconduct whilst waiting for the finalisation of the DC proceedings. This follows the DPCA stipulations for permanent employees falling under the bargaining category,” said Mamabolo.

He confirmed that eight employees have been suspended for longer than 90 days.

The data also highlighted allegations involving senior city officials across multiple departments.

In the human resources and legal and risk services departments, top management officials were allegedly suspended for intentionally frustrating disciplinary proceedings against the suspended deputy chief of the Ekurhuleni metro police, Brig Julius Mkhwanazi.

In the ICT department, a top management official was suspended for alleged gross negligence relating to poor management and systemic oversight of the city’s technology infrastructure.

Meanwhile, in the health and social development department, a middle manager was suspended for alleged financial misconduct involving soliciting money while falsely using the name of a member of the mayoral committee (MMC).

The DA said five top and senior management officials are implicated in matters involving structural interference, sexual harassment, systemic oversight failures and corruption.

Two middle and junior management officials face allegations related to financial misconduct, bribery and soliciting money under false pretences, while 10 semi-skilled employees are accused of behavioural misconduct, fraud, dishonesty and physical violence.

“This is another direct assault on, and betrayal of, the people of Ekurhuleni, as the decay and service delivery failures continue. Communities go weeks without water, potholes have become a permanent feature, and residents live in fear, while the city sponsors the lifestyles of dodgy officials, rewarding them for their alleged misconduct,” said Rasilingwane.

Rasilingwane said the DA would continue monitoring the disciplinary processes and push for criminal prosecutions where necessary.

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