Net closes on more than 8000 high-risk ghost worker cases

THE government has identified 8,854 cases as high-risk in its effort to eliminate ghost workers.

- THEOLIN TEMBO

The cases require further verification; a two-month verification process will begin in January 2026, followed by appropriate legal action.

The next phase of this project will use a single sign-on application bein; developed for public servants, as well as improvements to the government payroll system to automate monitoring to prevent irregularities and improve spending efficiency.

The high risk cases were identified thanks to a partnership between the National Treasury, the Department of Home Affairs and the South African Revenue Service.

In his his 2025 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBS) yesterday Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said the government has initiated an audit to not only identify ghost workers, but also identify payment irregularities across national and provincial departments.