Mpumalanga education MEC Lettie Masina has set her department on a province-wide drive to physically verify employees as the government intensifies efforts to stop ghost workers in the public service.
Provincial education department spokesperson Gerald Sambo said the process is part of a national clean-up of the payroll system led by Siviwe Gwarube, the Minister of Basic Education, and the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC).
“The Mpumalanga education department is currently conducting a physical verification exercise for all employees,” Sambo said on Tuesday.
“This forms part of a national process initiated by the Department of Basic Education in collaboration with the ELRC aimed at strengthening accountability and ensuring that every public servant within the education sector is accurately recorded.”
He said officials at the Mpumalanga education head office had already gone through the process.
“Head office employees participated in the verification exercise, presenting themselves with their original identity documents as required. The turnout demonstrated a strong sense of responsibility and cooperation,” he said.
Tightening governance
According to Sambo, the exercise was central to tightening governance in the provincial education department.
“The verification exercise is a crucial governance requirement designed to ensure that the department maintains a clean, accurate, and up-to-date employee database.
“By confirming the physical presence, identity and employment details of each official, the department strengthens its payroll management and reduces the risk of paying ghost employees.
“This process also helps curb fraudulent practices that may arise from outdated or incorrect personnel information, thereby protecting public funds and reinforcing trust in the public service system.”
He said the department welcomed the way staff conducted themselves during the checks.
“The Mpumalanga education department appreciates the professionalism displayed by all employees and remains committed to strengthening human resource management, improving service delivery, and ensuring that every public servant is properly accounted for as part of a clean and efficient government workforce.”
The campaign comes after rising concerns in parliament about ghost teachers and the alleged selling of teaching posts.
On August 19, parliament’s portfolio committee on public service and administration welcomed an ELRC-led nationwide investigation into allegations of ghost teachers, ghost learners, and the selling of teaching posts.
Broader systemic weaknesses
Committee chairperson Jan de Villiers said the committee has consistently maintained that ghost workers are a symptom of “broader systemic weaknesses that have allowed irregular and fraudulent practices to take root across national, provincial, and municipal structures”.
“It cannot be ignored, and the committee regards such practices as a breach of public trust and an infringement on the constitutional right of every South African child to quality education.”
Sambo warned that fake employees drain resources.
“The presence of ghost employees diverts scarce resources away from classrooms, while the buying and selling of posts undermines merit, fairness, and professionalism in the public service.
“Ghost employees represent one of the most blatant forms of waste, and addressing it must be a top priority if we are to restore the public’s confidence in government and deliver quality services.”
