The DA has intensified its pressure on Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu, granting him until the end of August to address the suspension of the education department’s head of department, Lucy Moyane.
Moyane was suspended in May following revelations that her department spent over R2-million on a single printer and 22 laptops, each costing R92 000.
The DA argues that the silence from Ndlovu’s office is prolonging wasteful expenditure while Moyane earns a full salary from home.
“It is almost three months into Moyane’s suspension,” said DA provincial education spokesperson Annerie Weber. “But the premier is not saying anything about her.”
The forensic investigation into the scandal also implicates eight other officials, but the final report is yet to be publicly released.
According to a departmental internal investigation, officials allegedly manipulated procurement procedures, inflated prices, and authorised substandard deliveries.
Party’s pleas fall on deaf ears
Weber accused Ndlovu of procrastinating, leaving the burden on taxpayers.
“Mpumalanga taxpayers cannot continue to pay salaries for an official who is sitting at home after being suspended in connection with the R22-million laptop scandal that rocked the province recently,” said Weber.
The DA now demands action within the legally prescribed timeframe.
“We want the Premier to resolve the Moyane suspension issue within three months. Since Moyane was suspended in May this year, we demand that the premier resolve this matter before the end of August.”
DA’s members challenged Ndlovu to update the legislature on Moyane’s situation during a provincial legislature session in July. Their calls, however, were met with silence.
Weber highlighted the significant costs associated with unresolved suspensions.
“Taxpayers in Mpumalanga cannot continue to pay millions of rands in salaries for a head of department that is sitting at home doing nothing,” she said.
DA may ask public protector to investigate
The Public Service Act limits suspensions to three months unless extended under strict conditions, and the DA believes this rule is being flouted.
“According to the Public Service Act and its regulations, it should not take longer than three calendar months to resolve a case of a suspended public service employee.”
If there is no progress by the end of the month, the party now threatens to involve the Office of the Public Protector.
“If the premier fails to resolve this matter by August, the DA will pursue it with the public protector,” she declared.
She said the aim would be “to investigate the provincial government for violation of the Public Service Act” and to “save taxpayers from the burden of paying suspended public service employees who are doing nothing.”
Provincial government spokesperson George Mthethwa is yet to respond to Sunday World’s questions. His response will be added once received.
