The Home Affairs Department will soon begin tracking down ghost workers in government departments, with the use of a digital verification system.  

The platform is set to go live next month for an initial two-month verification process across national and provincial departments.  

“The Department of Home Affairs has developed a world-class new online realtime employee verification portal for National Treasury as part of government’s broader digital transformation agenda to strengthen public sector accountability and protect public funds,” read the department’s statement.  

The platform, linked to the National Population Register, uses biometric verification and “liveness” testing to confirm that employee records are legitimate. 

Payroll system fraud cost the country around R3.9 billion last year, with Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration noting earlier this year that more than 4,300 high-risk cases were identified across government departments. 

“We have also been clear about the need for evidence of results, including the number of ghost employees identified and removed, the monies recovered and the number of prosecutions. While the committee is encouraged by the number of ghost workers identified, we call for consequences where wrongdoing has been confirmed, which must include prosecutions and successful convictions,” said Jan de Villiers, chairperson of the parliamentary committee. 

READ MORE: Public Service Committee urges swift action on 4 323 ghost workers, welcomes payroll reform measures 

In a statement on Tuesday, Minister Leon Schreiber said this system could save taxpayers billions if used consistently. 

“The application of the digital capabilities our reform work is now consistently delivering to this new use case, demonstrates that the digital transformation of Home Affairs is laying the foundation for an entirely rebuilt state, with the benefits being felt widely across government and society.”