A major employee verification exercise aimed at identifying ghost workers has left hundreds of KwaZulu-Natal school employees queuing for hours. The verification process, which is mandatory, has been conducted at the Old Mutual building in Pietermaritzburg, with some employees arriving as early as 6am. The exercise is a joint effort by National Treasury and the Department of Public Service and Administration to verify employee stats against government payroll records.
The verification process involves employees scanning a barcode on their pay slip and following instructions for verification. According to KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education acting spokesperson Nonkululeko Ngcobo, the exercise is an ongoing process to identify any irregularities. The report generated by the Department of Public Service and Administration provides names of employees that have not verified, and those who verified through the barcode with green ID books appeared as not verified.
The uMgungundlovu District has an urgent responsibility to verify employees flagged in a sample identified by National Treasury. A message circulated to schools stated that heads of sub-directorates and circuit managers must notify employees to avail themselves for verification. Employees were required to bring their ID document or smart card, and those who failed to verify would not receive their salaries.
Some employees expressed frustration with the process, citing long queues and lack of facilities. A teacher with 40 years of experience at a Pietermaritzburg high school said the process had disrupted examination duties, forcing the school to arrange for a relief teacher. The teacher was supposed to be on duty during the National Senior Certificate examination period but had to leave to verify.
The National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) chief executive officer Thirona Moodley condemned the management of the exercise, saying it had caused unnecessary hardship for public service employees and disrupted schools during the examination period. Moodley stated that while accurate personnel records are important, the conditions teachers were forced to endure were unacceptable.
The South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) Pietermaritzburg chairperson Vishnu Naidoo shared concerns about the difficulties employees experienced but emphasized that the verification process still needed to be completed. Naidoo acknowledged that the current situation was not conducive to a smooth process but urged members to remain committed to ensuring that all identified members are successfully verified.
The verification exercise is set to continue, with the deadline being October 31, 2026. As the process continues, employees are urged to comply with the verification requirements to avoid any disruptions to their salaries. The exercise aims to identify ghost workers and ensure that government payroll records are accurate, which is crucial for efficient public service delivery.
Key points
- The verification process aims to identify ghost workers and ensure accurate government payroll records.
- Hundreds of KwaZulu-Natal school employees queued for hours to verify employment.
- The exercise has been criticized for causing unnecessary hardship and disrupting schools during the examination period.
