In Conversation With Doer Mighty Mabule, UAT National Spokesperson

The United Africans Transformation (UAT) has raised alarm following revelations that the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality spends approximately R30 million annually on salaries for suspended officials, most of whom are senior managers. According to UAT, the issue reflects a deeper governance and accountability crisis across South Africa’s public sector, where disciplinary processes are frequently delayed, leaving officials on prolonged paid suspensions while municipalities struggle with service delivery, infrastructure maintenance, and budget constraints. The party argues that suspensions, originally intended as temporary precautionary measures during investigations, have increasingly become drawn-out administrative processes with little urgency in reaching final outcomes. UAT further contends that this is not unique to Tshwane, but rather part of a national trend affecting municipalities and government departments where weak consequence management systems continue to drain public finances. The organisation is now calling for urgent reforms, including stricter timelines for disciplinary hearings, faster resolution of suspension cases, and stronger accountability for managers responsible for delays. At the heart of the debate is a difficult national question: can South Africa continue paying suspended officials in full while communities wait for basic services? Instagram · Twitter