The Department of Home Affairs has suspended two of its senior officials, including a former acting director general, the Star reported on Tuesday.
Chief financial officer Pat Nkambule and the deputy director general of civic services, Joel Chavalala — who once acted as director general — were suspended with immediate effect on Monday.
Home Affairs Director General Mavuso Msimang refused to disclose reasons for the suspension of the senior managers.
Their suspension comes less than a week after Msimang, during a briefing to mark 100 days in office, said corruption remained a serious problem and that the department continued to be ”sick”.
However, he refused to say whether this statement had anything to do with the suspensions.
In a statement released on Monday night, Msimang said: ”The department will not engage further with the media in this regard until such time as the process has been finalised.”
A call to Msimang yielded no further information except a terse ”no comment at this stage”.
”I can’t give reasons, I am not supposed to discuss what you are asking me.” – Sapa