This had prompted her to decline divulging further information, she said. The officials include chief financial officer Pat Nkambule and the deputy director general, civic services, Joel Chavalala -- who once
acted as director general.

Presenting a report now would prejudice the officials concerned, Mapisa-Nqakula told the National Assembly's home affairs committee.

"The suspension has occurred because certain investigations are being investigated.Beyond that, I don't see how we can divulge [information] without suggesting that the people who have been suspended are in fact guilty. Because that's not a fact, that's not true," she said.

The investigation should be allowed to unfold and be completed. Once it had been concluded, the report would be made available to the committee.

Responding to questions from committee members, Mapisa-Nqakula said it would be premature to give reasons for each official's suspension.

However, some of the problems in the department were a result of the CFO's inability to "do certain things, to ensure proper financial control within the department", and raised in an auditor general's report.

"It was very clear that there are very serious shortcomings with regard to our financial systems within the department," she said.

However, one could not simply use the AG's disclaimer report to "fire a person".

"So you have to look at a whole range of issues, conduct a proper investigation, so that at the end of the day if you take a decision [to dismiss] a person, at least there is proper evidence you can use against that person. You can't just wake up one morning and say you go."

An acting CFO had been appointed on a six month contract until such time as the issue had been resolved and similar arrangements made to temporarily fill the other three positions, Mapisa-Nqakula said.