A headcount at Chitipa District Council has wiped 258 names off government payroll, leaving the affected workers to prove they are not ghost employees.
The affected workers were identified during the headcount as suspected ghost employees, according to the council’s Director of Human Resources and Administration, Thomas Mwafongo.
Mwafongo made the disclosure on Wednesday at an extraordinary full council meeting, where he said the workers had not presented themselves for verification.
He said the council could not immediately establish why some employees were absent, noting that some could have been transferred, fallen ill, or died.
“Failure to report during the headcount might be due to transfers, sickness, deaths, and other unknown reasons,” Mwafongo said.
He added that workers who were removed but have valid reasons for missing the exercise can approach the council for verification.
Mwafongo urged the affected employees to submit written explanations and physically report to the council so their cases can be assessed and, where appropriate, their names restored to the payroll.
The 258 employees were drawn from several government departments, including teachers and chiefs.
Chitipa Civil Society Organisations Network chairperson Patrick Ziba described the findings as disappointing, saying payroll irregularities could have wider consequences for development.
Ziba, however, commended the government for conducting the headcount and identifying workers considered to be ghost employees.
He said civil society organisations would engage with the authorities to help ensure that the process is properly managed.
