Investigation into Prasa’s 3,000 ghost workers underway – Mbalula

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says a forensic investigation into the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa)’s 3,000 ghost workers is underway.

This follows Prasa’s Project Ziveze aimed at physically verifying all Prasa employees. Since its launch, Prasa has identified 3,000 employees who could not be verified. Their salaries were frozen.

“Since the freezing of salaries, more employees from those previously not verified came forward. A forensic investigation is currently underway on the possible ghost employees and how these found their way into the payroll of Prasa,” said Mbalula on Tuesday.

“Once the forensic investigation is concluded, action will be taken against those implicated. Withdraw the salary and the person appears. Operation Ziveze head count must be completed and identified ghost workers terminated from the payroll and implicated officials disciplined.”

Mbalula earlier this year told Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) that Prasa had been scammed by 3,000 ghost workers.

Mbalula said Prasa, in December, became aware that it was paying full salaries to the ghost workers. 

“Somebody has created a scam to steal money from the organisation. That’s how broken Prasa is. … in a normal company, you can’t even afford to have one ghost worker, and we have 3,000,” said Mabalula.

Mbalula called the 3,000 ghost workers a “grand scam” and said it was uncovered during the Operation Ziveze campaign which was implemented to uncover irregularities at the state-owned entity.

The transport minister said his department was determined to get Prasa moving in the right direction.

“We remain seized with the arduous task of getting Prasa back on track, following years of sub-par performance, failure to spend on its capital programmes and corruption.  Our eye remains on the ball, and we continue to hold the Board accountable for delivery on the targets.”

Additional reporting by Gareth Cotterell