Pretoria – National Treasury officials have revealed that more than 4 000 suspicious “ghost workers” individuals listed on state payrolls but not verifiably employed were detected in an ongoing audit of public sector departments.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana disclosed the findings while presenting South Africa’s 2026 national budget to Parliament. The audit flagged 4 323 high-risk cases in the government’s personnel and salary system, known as PERSAL, raising concerns about potential payroll fraud and misallocated taxpayer funds.
According to the Treasury, an intensive verification process has begun to determine which flagged employees are genuine. Those who cannot be physically verified will have their salaries suspended and employment status reevaluated.
The Department of Public Service and Administration is using advanced identity tools, including facial recognition checks against the National Population Register, to minimise the risk of misidentifying legitimate workers as ghost employees. Physical verification visits are also underway to confirm identities.
Godongwana told lawmakers that this initiative is part of broader public sector reforms aimed at strengthening financial accountability and curbing wasteful expenditure. Enhanced payroll systems and new digital oversight tools are expected to improve control and prevent irregularities going forward.
Parliamentary committees have highlighted the importance of clear timelines for the verification process and called for cooperation from national, provincial, and local government levels to ensure accurate workforce assessments and more effective budgeting.
As the audit continues, officials stress that the findings mark a significant step toward protecting public resources and improving trust in the management of government personnel and funds.
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