Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Arnold Schoonwinkel and Sesotho by Jafta Mokoena MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ngwathe Local Municipality is concerned by the alarming talk of ghost workers within the municipality. Despite multiple demands for clarity, a promised report on the matter has once again failed to appear, marking the fourth such delay.
Surely, a few weeks should be enough to produce a clear, complete, and accurate report. Numerous questions have been submitted to the Chairperson of the local Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC), a body vested with special powers to investigate municipal irregularities. The report’s non-appearance after nine months reflects poorly on Ngwathe’s MPAC and its leadership.
The suspected ghost workers presumably receive full salaries and appear on the list of municipal employees. Yet they fail to report for duty entirely, or they disappear every morning after briefly checking in.
Councillors from all parties suspect ghost workers exist within Ngwathe. Multiple accounts indicate that municipal workers are frequently absent during working hours, and complaints have been lodged with the municipality without any corrective actions.
When the Finance Committee last October unanimously called for a thorough investigation, a senior official stated that an inquiry had been conducted and that a report would be tabled by 25 October last year. This did not happen. Since then, no report has appeared, despite repeated written demands from the DA and other parties.
MPAC’s Chairperson has now committed to tabling the report and relevant documents this month. If not, the DA will seek help from the Auditor General’s Office and will insist on decisive action to remove ghost workers from the municipality. The DA will monitor the process to ensure that anyone appointing or aiding ghost workers is held accountable. Better governance is required in Ngwathe.