The eThekwini Municipality has come under fire after it was revealed that R2.5 million has been paid in salary to a senior official who has spent the last 10 months on suspension. Maxwell Mthembu, head of the municipality’s electricity department, was suspended in March of the previous year following allegations of misconduct. The city manager accused him of failing to act against employees participating in an illegal strike.
Despite a government directive suggesting that suspended employees should be reassigned to other departments during investigations, Mthembu’s request for redeployment was denied. Confirming the situation, Mthembu stated, “I can confirm that I am still on suspension with full pay,” though he declined to elaborate further, citing a reluctance to discuss the matter with the media.
This suspension comes amid growing concerns over the financial implications of paying suspended employees. Public Service Administration Minister Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi previously announced that the government was exploring measures to end the practice of suspensions with full pay. Former premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube echoed this sentiment in a State of the Province address, advocating for the reassignment of employees rather than compensating them to remain idle.
Mthembu’s suspension is currently being reviewed by the bargaining council. However, the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) has condemned the suspension as illegal. Xolani Dube, the union’s secretary in eThekwini, suggested ulterior motives may have influenced the decision, highlighting that Mthembu was suspended while on leave—a direct violation of labour policy, which dictates that suspensions can only occur while an employee is actively at work.
The municipality has remained tight-lipped on the matter. Spokesperson Gugu Sisilana emphasized the importance of confidentiality in disciplinary proceedings, stating, “In the interests of natural justice and to avoid prejudicing the outcome of any disciplinary investigation, all disciplinary proceedings in the municipality are kept strictly confidential. The municipality does not initiate disciplinary processes via the media and will therefore not publicly discuss the outcomes of such processes.”
As the case continues to unfold, taxpayers are left questioning the accountability of municipal governance and the true cost of administrative inaction.
