Ghost workers plague KZN Health Department, union demands urgent audit

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) has called for an urgent audit of community health workers in KwaZulu-Natal to eliminate so-called ghost employees.

“We are aware of ghost health workers in some hospitals in Pietermaritzburg, as well as among community health workers. That is why we are calling on the Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal to conduct a comprehensive audit,” said Ayanda Zulu, Nehawu’s provincial secretary in KwaZulu-Natal.

Zulu added that the department remains in contempt of court for failing to offer permanent posts to community health workers, having extended their contracts by only one year. “We will be meeting the MEC next week to discuss this matter and the issue of audits,” he said.

Democratic Alliance health spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal and chair of the provincial health portfolio committee, Dr Imraan Keeka, has also endorsed the union’s call for accountability.

“The number of ghost health workers in hospitals has significantly decreased, but challenges persist among community health workers due to inadequate controls,” Keeka stated.

Ghost employees continue to burden the public health sector, particularly within provincial health departments. These individuals are recorded on government payrolls despite not being employed, effectively receiving salaries for no actual work.

Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg previously identified more than 120 ghost health workers, while the Msunduzi Municipality discovered over 100 on its payroll. In Gauteng, the provincial health department is also conducting a similar audit and has frozen the salaries of 66 suspected ghost workers to date.

KwaZulu-Natal employs more than 8,000 community health workers. Historically, much of the funding for these roles came from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a funding stream that was withdrawn during the presidency of Donald Trump.

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