The official, Vuyiseka Mboxela, made an unexpected return to work on Monday, 4 November, even though her suspension had been extended to 26 November.

The Eastern Cape Department of Education vowed on Tuesday to deal with its director of communications, Vuyiseka Mboxela, after she returned to work despite being on precautionary suspension following complaints about how she treated her staff.

"The department wishes to categorically state that Ms Mboxela is still on suspension pending the investigation and conclusion of her case by the department," reads a statement issued by the department's acting director of communications, Nyameka Mgijima, and its media liaison officer, Mali Mtima.

Mboxela made an unexpected return to work on Monday, 4 November, even though her suspension had been extended to 26 November.

She announced her return to work on social media on Sunday using an official department letterhead. She said she had only received a "one-liner" from a law firm informing her of the extension of her suspension to 26 November.

"I know for a fact that such an instruction is against the law, and I do not want to be listed amongst senior managers that are seated at home while getting paid huge salaries by the...