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The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration today welcomed the Education Labour Relations Council’s (ELRC) investigation into allegations of ghost teachers and the selling of teaching posts.
 
The committee noted the ELRC’s statement announcing that it has been tasked by the teacher unions, the Department of Basic Education and the nine provincial Departments of Education to lead a nationwide physical verification of educators and learners to address the allegations of ghost workers in the sector. This will also include a forensic investigation into allegations about the selling of posts. The estimated completion date for the verification of learners and educators is the end of October 2025.
 
Welcoming this development, the Chairperson of the committee, Mr Jan de Villiers, said that the committee has consistently maintained that ghost workers are a symptom of broader systemic weaknesses that have allowed irregular and fraudulent practices to take root across national, provincial and municipal structures. “It cannot be ignored, and the committee regards such practices as a breach of public trust and an infringement on the constitutional right of every South African child to quality education,” the Chairperson said. 
 
He said the presence of ghost employees diverts scarce resources away from classrooms, while the buying and selling of posts undermines merit, fairness and professionalism in the public service. “Ghost employees represent one of the most blatant forms of waste and addressing it must be a top priority if we are to restore the public’s confidence in government and deliver quality services.”
 
The committee also expressed its support for the physical verification of educators and learners. “We have consistently said that eliminating ghost workers depends on rigorous, in-person verification of all employees, supported by biometric identification,” said Mr de Villiers. “Current payroll systems and internal controls remain vulnerable to manipulation, and the committee has previously called for an overhaul of these systems to prevent this.”
 
The Chairperson said the committee will continue to engage with the Department of Public Service and Administration, the Department of Basic Education, the Public Service Commission, and National Treasury to ensure that these matters are investigated thoroughly. “We will insist on transparent reporting mechanisms and accountability measures to flush out ghost employees and to prevent corrupt practices in recruitment and placement.”
 
The Chairperson further welcomed the steps that the Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, is set to implement, which includes, among others, ensuring that every individual receiving a salary is a legitimate teacher, correcting the school grading by identifying the number of undocumented learners and investigating and rooting out irregular practices such as the alleged buying and selling of entry-level and promotional posts. “We look forward to a presentation by the minister and her department on their progress with these steps and other measures to identify ghost teachers and eliminate the illegal practice of selling teacher posts.”
 
Reaffirming the committee’s commitment to strengthening oversight and restoring integrity in public administration, the Chairperson said they will not accept unnecessary delays, as the public deserves clear answers and decisive action. “The Government of National Unity has made a clear commitment to building a professional, ethical and capable public service. To achieve this, urgent reforms are required in the way government manages and spends public funds, with particular focus on eliminating wasteful expenditure,” said the Chairperson.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Jan de Villiers