Four Gauteng health officials suspended amid payroll fraud probe

Precautionary suspensions follow payroll probe

Four officials in the Gauteng Department of Health have been placed on precautionary suspension with pay as part of an internal crackdown on payroll irregularities, IOL News reports.

Disciplinary and forensic investigations under way

According to IOL News, the suspensions form part of broader disciplinary and forensic investigations into alleged payroll fraud, procurement irregularities and corruption within the department. The department said the measures are also aimed at preventing possible interference with witnesses and ongoing investigations.

In a statement reported by IOL News the department said:

“The suspensions relate to matters involving alleged misconduct, procurement irregularities, fraud and corruption investigations, as well as measures aimed at preventing possible interference with witnesses and ongoing investigations.”

Concern over salaries paid to non-working employees

IOL News reports the department has expressed particular concern about cases where employees continue to receive salaries without rendering services, and has committed to speeding up disciplinary processes while respecting legal and investigative procedures.

Strengthening controls and the Ziveze Campaign

As part of its response, the department has rolled out tighter payroll verification systems and internal controls to identify and remove irregular payments, IOL News says.

IOL News reports that a key initiative, the Ziveze Campaign, has flagged individuals on the payroll who were not properly accounted for at institutional level.

“Through this intervention, the department identified employees who were in the system and being paid but were not known to Human Resources at institutional level,”

the department told IOL News.

IOL News also states the entity is strengthening leave management and incapacity processes and is moving toward automating human resource functions to improve oversight and data accuracy.

Protecting public resources

According to IOL News, the department described these measures as part of a broader strategy to strengthen financial management, ethical governance and the protection of public resources in support of improved healthcare service delivery.