During a media briefing at the Welkom-based Matjhabeng municipality headquarters by mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha on Sunday (17/5), he informed the media of cases that have been brought before the Hawks. He expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the investigations.

“We will appeal to the police to fast-track these investigations to make sure investigations are now handed over to the NPA to make a decision whether they will be able to prosecute some of these individuals who have been stealing in this municipality.

“I will just make one example, in our payroll, where we have also taken a decision to appoint a forensic investigation in our payroll. We have been suspecting there are some ghost workers in our payroll. 

“We are now proven right that there is one individual who is a former employee of this municipality.”

Khalipha highlighted a case where a former employee suspected of being a ghost worker was sentenced to life imprisonment in February 2025. Investigations revealed that the individual continued to receive a salary from Matjhabeng until last month. 

Some municipal officials were visiting the convicted individual to ensure he signed that he was still at work, he claimed.

However, FF Plus MPL Armand Cloete criticised Khalipha for the delayed response on such matters. “Matjhabeng has been under ANC rule for decades, and Khalipha has been mayor for years; surely he should have been aware of these ghost workers. As mayor, he should have acted long ago; in fact, he does not have to wait for authorities.”

It also held true for each Free State municipality where ghost workers exist. “Any mayor is obliged to refer the matter to relevant authorities; instead, the mayor and his municipality decided to waste taxpayers’ money on a lawsuit emanating from section 139 intervention in which the municipality’s cooperation has been questionable.”

OFM News reported former MEC Makalo Mohale, who led the intervention team, had accused municipal leadership of resisting provincial efforts aimed at stabilising the struggling municipality. 

Mohale noted the collapse of financial management remained the core reason behind the municipality’s ongoing crisis and deteriorating services.

The issue of ghost workers has made headlines in other Free State municipalities as well. Mangaung mayor Gregory Nthatisi explained that city manager Sello More, after being appointed as permanent city manager, uncovered several cases of fraud and financial mismanagement, including payments made to individuals not employed by the municipality and salaries paid to incarcerated individuals.

OFM News had also reported R5m was allegedly spent on ghost workers in Mangaung. At least 119 ghost workers, including former councillors deployed by the ANC-run municipality, were benefiting from the scheme as of January 2022.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi dg

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