AG flags R114m pay scandal

NORTH WEST: EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PAYS STAFF WHO HAD RESIGNED, RETIRED OR DIED

- Sipho Mabena

A man stands next to a poster showing robots from Shenzhen Xiaoquan Technology mimicking human expressions during the International AI Application and Robotics Innovation Exhibition in Beijing yesterday.

(AFP)

Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) has exposed a payroll scandal in the North West education department, revealing R114 million in irregular salary payments to staff who had resigned, retired or even died.

The finding, tabled in the legislature, points to serious lapses in oversight and control, with opposition parties warning of systemic governance failure, while officials insist the errors stemmed from outdated manual systems now being replaced.

It said: “The auditor-general can confirm it issued a financial loss material irregularity [MI] against the North West department of education on 31 July, 2023, relating to salary overpayments due to employees who had resigned, retired or died not being timeously removed from the personnel salary system, resulting in payments for services not rendered.