The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes efforts by government to identify and remove ghost posts in the public service. The directive by the Department of Public Service and Administration for government departments to conclude physical verification of all staff employed by the end of February 2026 is a positive step towards tackling corruption in the state. It builds upon similar verification already successfully concluded within various public service departments.
Ghost posts are a particularly grotesque form of state capture and corruption. Not only are they tantamount to the theft of workers’ hard-earned taxes but they place unbearable burdens upon already overstretched nurses, doctors, teachers, police officers and other frontline staff struggling to provide public services to working class communities whilst battling high vacancy rates and painful austerity budget cuts.
The ratios of teachers to learners, health workers to patients and law enforcement to society, amongst others, have been dangerously eroded over the past decade. It is unforgivable that whilst thousands of dedicated public servants have done their best to ensure service delivery, that this form of corruption has taken place.
Whilst it is not yet possible to know the full extent of ghost posts, we believe that given the extent of corruption across many arms of the state and similar instances of ghost posts already found, including the notorious 3 000 exposed at PRASA, that it is highly likely pockets will be found.
This physical verification needs to be done under the close scrutiny of the Auditor-General and the Public Service Commission, lest the very same persons involved in creating ghost posts in the first place, be enabled to cover their tracks. Similarly, it is crucial this verification includes all public sector entities, state-owned enterprises and municipalities.
It is critical that any savings achieved from eradicating such ghost posts be utilised as intended, to fill critical frontline posts and thus easing the burden upon public servants and improving service delivery. These funds should not be diverted for any other non-mandated purposes.
If we are to eradicate the culture of corruption that has become pervasive across the state and society, government must hold all persons implicated in such acts of criminality fully accountable as required by the law.
COSATU will continue to support the tireless efforts of its Affiliates in the state to win this war against state capture and corruption in all its manifestations.
Issued by COSATU
Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)
Mobile: 082 785 0687
Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za