Mpumalanga education officials disputed allegations on Saturday that ghost employee payments totaled nearly 2 billion rand, arguing the sum mischaracterizes audit conclusions. Department representative Gerald Sambo stated actual salary overpayments reached approximately 19 million rand stemming from delayed personnel record updates rather than systematic fraud. Provincial authorities acknowledged administrative failures led to continued compensation for separated or departed workers when supervisors neglected timely termination notifications and document submissions, including mortality certificates.
Political organizations demanded investigations after initial reports suggested 1.8 billion rand in questionable spending. Opposition figures called for prosecutions and asset recovery while parliament committees requested ongoing briefings about fictitious workers across government agencies. Auditor General examinations previously identified 28.3 million rand in improper disbursements during the 2023 to 2024 fiscal period with monthly efficiencies of 2 million rand achieved through payroll corrections.
Training programs now target compliance improvements as circuit monitoring systems attempt earlier detection of payment irregularities. Sambo emphasized recovered funds through deductions from final settlements and estate collections. National unauthorized expenditure climbed 57 percent to 7.19 billion rand with multiple sectors affected by procurement violations and compensation errors.
Political organizations demanded investigations after initial reports suggested 1.8 billion rand in questionable spending. Opposition figures called for prosecutions and asset recovery while parliament committees requested ongoing briefings about fictitious workers across government agencies. Auditor General examinations previously identified 28.3 million rand in improper disbursements during the 2023 to 2024 fiscal period with monthly efficiencies of 2 million rand achieved through payroll corrections.
Training programs now target compliance improvements as circuit monitoring systems attempt earlier detection of payment irregularities. Sambo emphasized recovered funds through deductions from final settlements and estate collections. National unauthorized expenditure climbed 57 percent to 7.19 billion rand with multiple sectors affected by procurement violations and compensation errors.
