It pays to be suspended

2003-10-23 22:03

Elise Tempelhoff

Vanderbijlpark - Four employees, who stole R74 000 in service fees from the Emfuleni local authority, were back in their posts last month after they were suspended for three years on full salaries and fringe benefits.

Two of them have since been promoted with five post levels.

Ndlhabole Shongwe, municipal manager, said the council had "no other choice" but to reinstate the four because they reached an admission of guilt agreement with the council before their disciplinary hearing was concluded.

They also promised to refund the stolen money.

Jaco Karsten, chief whip of the Democratic Alliance in the council, said it was "unacceptable" that officials who stole from the community could be rewarded with reinstatement and even promotion.

"It is shocking when one considers that these four officials sat at home for three years and earned a total of R500 000. And this while the council is always saying that it doesn't have money for maintenance and repairs of water pipes and the sewage system."

Shongwe said two of the officials who were involved in the theft were "ordinary workers" at the time who had to be "pulled in" as cashiers because of staff shortages. They therefore had to be promoted to this level.

He confirmed that the four were back at work. "However, they are no longer working with money."

- Beeld