GP Health freezes salaries of 66 ‘ghost workers’
Just over 60 Gauteng Department of Health employees have had their wages frozen as the department intensifies its drive to eliminate so-called ghost workers.
The Ziveze campaign, which means ‘show yourself’, was launched in October 2024 and is expected to end in March.
According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ 12th edition report, ‘Occupational Fraud 2022: A Report to the Nations,’ ghost employees were one of the most prevalent types of occupational fraud, accounting for 8% of reported cases.
Gauteng Health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said of the 85,642 workers on the department’s payroll, a total of 31,345 employees were successfully verified in the first phase of the campaign.
“Phase Two commenced on 13 January 2025, with the focus on verifying the remaining 54,297 employees across all health facilities.
“Phase 2 of the verification process commenced on 13 January 2025, and up until 24 February 2025, an additional 30,508 employees have been verified. This leaves a total of 23,789 employees who are yet to be verified. The verification team still has until 31 March 2025 to verify the remaining cohort of employees.”
Through this initiative, the department seeks to improve accountability, prevent fraudulent salary payments and optimise resource allocation for quality healthcare delivery.
“As of 25 February 2025, salaries have been frozen for 66 employees who remain unverified, excluding pending cases. All employees have been urged to physically verify themselves by visiting their facility’s Human Resources office or any designated verification site.
“Those who continue to avoid the verification process risk permanent removal from the payroll, including criminal cases being opened against them,” Modiba warned.
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