More than R45m is being used to pay the salaries of suspended public servants who await disciplinary proceedings to be concluded, according to a report on Thursday.

A recent Public Service Commission report dated June 2011, was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, The Star newspaper reported.

It quoted an earlier study conducted by the public service and administration department which found that a number of officials investigated for financial misconduct increased from 434 in the 2001/02 financial year to 1 135 in 2009/10.

According to the study, 369 state employees were suspended between April 2009 and March last year at a cost of R45.7m, the newspaper reported.

The department of correctional services had the highest number of so called “precautionary suspensions” at 73, which cost taxpayers R7m. The department of justice followed with 41, costing about R6.4m.

However, the study did not include figures from the department of home affairs, which, according to the more recent PSC report, is among departments with the highest number of suspended officials.

Credit to: News 24 and Sapa