SPOKE SES GELD

MPs launch a probe into 'ghost workers' fraud in government

- BY THEOLIN TEMBO

"GHOST workers" have been called out in Parliament, as millions of rands in tax money are being stolen through non-existent mense in government jobs.

Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration Jan de Villiers said the problem of "ghost workers" is not merely a payroll anomaly, but a "deliberate and orchestrated form of systemic corruption".

In a briefing to the Governance Cluster Oversight committees on Monday, the DA MP said an investigation into the problem as part of a joint audit is now under way between the Department of Public Service and Administration and the National Treasury.