Cape Town – The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) is approaching the National Treasury to inquire about blacklisting 17 companies that paid “ghost workers” in its Expanded Works Programme
In June, Cogta Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma revealed in a parliamentary question that her department identified that some implementing agents made R2.4 million payments to 909 deceased from people participating in the Community Work Programme.
In the wake of her revelation, DA MP Rochelle Spies then wrote to Dlamini Zuma asking the names of the implementing agents and the steps her department has taken to place them on the National Treasury’s database of restricted suppliers.
In her response, Dlaimini Zuma said the number of the deceased participants paid has since been reduced to 705.
“The evidence received from the implementing agents during the verification process indicated that 204 participants were eligible for payment in that they were paid for work done before they passed on,” she said.
Dlamini Zuma named 11 implementing agents that paid 519 deceased participants in the Public Work Programme in the April 2018 to September 2021 contract, and a further six that made payments to 186 in the October 2021 to September 2022 contract.
Dlamini Zuma said her department had not placed any of the implementing agents on the National Treasury database of restricted suppliers.
She said the payments to deceased participants were deducted from the project management fees due to implementing agents and there was no loss to the department.
“The department will approach the National Treasury to determine whether this meets the criteria for listing on the register of restricted suppliers,” Dlamini Zuma added.
Cape Times