Mpumalanga Education Department Refutes R1.8 Billion Ghost Salary Allegations, Admits to Smaller Overpayments Amid Calls for Probes
Nelspruit, Mpumalanga – The Mpumalanga Department of Education has firmly rejected reports claiming it paid nearly R2 billion in irregular salaries to former or deceased staff, calling the figure a misrepresentation of the Auditor-General’s findings. In a statement released on 1 November 2025, spokesperson Gerald Sambo clarified that no such amount appears in the 2024/25 audit report, but acknowledged overpayments of about R19 million due to delays in updating payroll records. This comes after a media article highlighted R1.8 billion in irregular expenditure, sparking outrage from political parties and demands for investigations into possible fraud.
The department insists the issues stem from administrative lapses, not deliberate wrongdoing, and has taken steps to fix them. However, critics argue the problems point to deeper mismanagement in the province’s public sector, where ghost workers and irregular payments have long been a concern.
Breaking Down the Allegations and the Department’s Response
The controversy started with claims that the department lost R1.8 billion through ghost salaries – payments to people who had resigned, retired, or passed away – and bogus housing allowances for staff who did not qualify. These were said to be uncovered by the Auditor-General in the latest audit, painting a picture of poor oversight and wasteful spending.
But the department pushes back, saying the Auditor-General’s 2024/25 report does not link the R1.8 billion directly to ghost salaries. Instead, it covers broader irregular expenditure, including procurement issues and non-compliance in other areas. Sambo explained that the actual overpayments for salaries were much lower, around R19 million, caused by late notifications of terminations or delays in submitting documents like death certificates.
“In the past year, the Department has implemented staff training to improve compliance with termination procedures and strengthened circuit-level monitoring systems for early detection of potential overpayments,” said Provincial Education Spokesperson, Gerald Sambo.
He added that there is no evidence of any fraudulent activity associated with the overpayments, and the department is working closely with oversight bodies to recover the funds and prevent future slips. Officials failed to notify the human resources team on time, in line with a 2012 directive on stopping salaries for those who left or died.
This is not the first time such claims have surfaced. Back in June 2025, the provincial government denied similar allegations of ghost workers, saying a reported R6.5 million was not for fictitious staff but due to processing delays. Earlier audits, like the 2023/24 report, flagged R6.4 million paid to deceased or terminated employees, showing a pattern of recurring issues.
Insights from the Auditor-General’s Reports
The Auditor-General has repeatedly highlighted material irregularities in the department. In the 2023/24 financial year, overpayments totalled R28.3 million, with monthly savings of R2 million achieved after cleaning up the payroll. The 2024/25 audit points to similar problems, but the department says it has recovered most of the money through deductions from final payouts or estates.
Broader national audits show unauthorised expenditure across departments jumped 57% to R7.19 billion in 2023/24, with Mpumalanga’s education sector contributing to the tally through non-competitive procurement and salary errors. Ghost workers – or payments to non-existent or ineligible people – have drained billions from public funds countrywide, with cases in health, transport, and other sectors.
In Mpumalanga, the head of department, Lucy Moyane, was notified of these irregularities as far back as September 2022, according to the annual report. Despite this, payments continued, leading to calls for accountability from senior officials.
Political Reactions and Demands for Action
Political parties have jumped on the issue, demanding probes and recoveries. A leader from the uMkhonto weSizwe party in Mpumalanga expressed shock at the findings, saying they point to a major lapse in oversight and need immediate fixes. The party is deeply disturbed by salaries going to those no longer in the system, including the deceased.
The Democratic Alliance plans to ask the Special Investigating Unit to look into the accounting officers, wanting details on how many people were overpaid and steps to get the money back. They also call for identifying staff who got undue housing allowances and ensuring repayments.
An EFF leader in the province blamed the crisis on late terminations and poor document handling, urging arrests for those involved. A former parliamentary committee chair noted Mpumalanga’s bad reputation for corruption, saying officials must face consequences to stop the rot.
Parliament’s public service committee has called for regular reports on ghost workers, with the Auditor-General briefing them on the Mpumalanga case as part of national efforts to eliminate such waste. The Education Labour Relations Council is set to verify all educators and pupils physically to root out fraud, following earlier allegations.
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