Eastern Cape civil servants rack up more than a million days of sick leave

Eastern Cape government officials have racked up more than one million days of sick leave over a two-year period.

In the first five months of the current financial year, extended sick leave has already cost the province R68m.

DA provincial leader Nqaba Bhanga revealed this on Wednesday.

Bhanga said it was clear provincial government was “sick to its core” after learning that the departments together racked up 1.2 million days of sick leave in the last two and a half years.

He said abuse of sick leave was crippling the public sector.

Responding to parliamentary questions sent by Bhanga, premier Oscar Mabuyane revealed that during the 2017/18 financial year, 494,621 days of sick leave were taken and in 2018/19, 447,859 days were taken.

Between April and the end of August in the 2019/20 financial year, 292,875 days of sick leave have already been taken.

Mabuyane said extended sick leave, which is sick leave in excess of the allocated entitlement, cost the province in excess of R238m in 2018/19, up from near R201m in 2017/18.

Mabuyane's response revealed that the biggest offenders of extended sick leave were the departments of health and education, two of the most critical departments in the province.

“Extended sick leave in education cost the province R312.7m in the past two and a half years, and health R142.3m,” he said.

In the first five months of 2019/20 in the health department have already taken 135,245 days and in education, 102,144.

Bhanga added that the provincial government already had a bloated public service, and abuse of sick leave placed further strain on service delivery.

“Those guilty of abusing their sick leave must be taken to task,” he said.