Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana
Image: Phando Jikelo/ Parliament of SA
THE National Treasury has unveiled a startling discovery of over 4000 ghost workers in South Africa's public sector.
This was uncovered in an ongoing audit that is working to cleanse the public sector payroll of non-existent or ineligible employees.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced the findings when he tabled the 2026 Budget during the Joint Sitting of Parliament on Wednesday.
Godongwana announced that more than 4,000 “ghost workers” have been identified, specifically 4,323 suspicious cases flagged within the PERSAL system.
“A verification process is under way and employees who cannot be physically verified will have their salaries withheld and their employment status suspended,” he said.
He indicated that employees who cannot be physically verified will face salary suspension and their employment status will be reassessed. This marks a decisive step in addressing irregularities that have long plagued the system.
As part of the verification initiative, the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has already started addressing high-risk cases. A sophisticated verification methodology, which includes the use of identity verification tools, aims to ensure that legitimate employees are not wrongly labelled as ghost workers due to administrative errors.
Godongwana elaborated on the verification process, which will involve facial recognition matching against the National Population Register, alongside physical verifications aligned with ongoing DPSA and Department of Basic Education projects targeting ghost workers.
“The next phase of this project will integrate with the improvements to payroll systems and the rollout of a single sign-on for public servants. These changes will enable automated oversight, reduce irregularities and support more effective expenditure management.”
The urgency of the matter was echoed during discussions with the Select Committee on Appropriations, who underscored the need for a thorough verification process across all levels of government.
They recommended that each tier, from national to local, actively participates in determining the precise scale of government employment for improved budgeting practices and financial accountability. Clear timelines were also advised to allow parliamentary oversight over the verification initiatives and their results.
Godongwana reassured MPs that discussions are advancing towards finalising the timelines for this essential verification process.
“The National Treasury notes the recommendation. A national verification process has commenced and engagements to finalise timelines for the verification process are ongoing, ensuring Parliament can exercise oversight over the outcomes,” he said.
The Select Committee on Appropriation raised the question of “ghost workers” in its report on the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement late last year.