South Africa: Public Service Committee Chair Welcomes Treasury Efforts to Eliminate Ghost Workers

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Mr Jan de Villiers, on Thursday welcomed efforts to identify ghost workers and improve efficiency in the public sector.

The Chairperson responded to announcements in the 2026 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) that the Minister of Finance, Mr Enoch Godongwana, tabled on Wednesday.

The MTBPS stated that 4 323 high-risk, suspicious payroll cases so far have been identified across national and provincial departments. National Treasury is consolidating findings that will be made public in next year’s budget. It is working with the Financial Intelligence Centre to investigate high-risk officials.

The Chairperson said the cooperation between Treasury, the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) and the Department of Home Affairs is encouraging. “The committee had several meetings since last year to discuss the integrity of government’s payroll system and had been calling for action on ghost workers. Identifying payroll irregularities is the first step,” the Chairperson said. “It must be part of a broader accountability process.”

The Chairperson pointed out that creating a ghost worker often involves collusion among officials with access to personnel and financial systems. “Having these fictitious employees on the payroll is more than just an administrative error. These cases do not just fall from the sky. They are created through organised criminal activity within the state. It is not something that one person can easily do, and investigating them must include identifying who authorised improper payments and who benefited. It cannot just be about simply removing names from the payroll.”

He further stressed that verifying officials also cannot just be a once-off. “Payroll systems must be strengthened. The committee will expect clear reporting on all confirmed irregularities, the number of employees removed and all monies recovered. Also important are the number of cases we want to see referred for criminal investigation and prosecution once wrongdoing is confirmed.” The Chairperson acknowledged the public’s frustration about corruption and stressed the importance of visible outcomes and accountability.

Mr de Villiers also welcomed the announcement on early retirement and voluntary exits to renew the public service and create opportunities for younger employees. In his speech, the Minister of Finance said government can potentially save an average of about R4.4 billion annually over 2027/28–2029/30.

The Chairperson, however, cautioned that this must be done responsibly without losing much-needed critical skills and institutional knowledge. He said reforming the public service must result in a professional public service with merit-based appointments that uses public money responsibly and delivers the services South Africans are entitled to receive.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.