The office of the Gauteng Premier has revealed that over 1,300 foreign workers are employed across important government departments in the province. This announcement has caused concern among elected officials and has started a debate about how the government hires people for jobs. According to information shared with the provincial parliament, the Department of Education has hired more than 700 foreign nationals, while the Department of Health employs more than 600. When this information was presented during a regular meeting, it quickly became a major political issue, with members of the oversight committee asking for detailed explanations and reasons for why so many foreign workers were hired.
Members of the oversight committee believe that the provincial government needs to give the public a clear answer about how more than a thousand foreign nationals ended up working in such important government departments. They are demanding a detailed report that shows what qualifications these workers have, what jobs they do, and how they were selected for their positions.
The chairperson of the oversight committee said the matter raised “serious questions” about compliance with public-sector hiring legislation and the broader implications for local employment. The chairperson stated that “We are not suggesting wrongdoing, but transparency is non-negotiable” and added that “The people of Gauteng must understand why more than a thousand foreign nationals are in government posts, especially in departments with high vacancy rates.”
The Premier’s office says that all the people who were hired followed the correct procedures and were chosen because they have the right skills and qualifications for the jobs available. They point out that health and education departments are struggling to find enough workers to fill all their positions. A spokesperson from the Premier’s office explained that South African law allows the government to hire foreign nationals as long as they meet all the rules and requirements for working in the country.
When the news spread on social media, people shared different opinions about it. One person strongly criticised Premier Panyazi Lesufi, saying “they made money from them,” suggesting that officials may have benefited personally from the hiring process.
Opposition political parties quickly used this information to attack the provincial government, saying it has not done enough to help South African people find jobs. Some opposition members argued that the large number of foreign workers raises concerns about whether their qualifications were properly checked and whether jobs were given out fairly to everyone.Trade unions that represent workers have also joined the discussion, with several calling for a complete review to make sure that South African professionals are not being overlooked for jobs. Unions in the education and health sectors say they support hiring foreign workers when the country really needs their special skills, but they insist that “the process must be transparent and justified.”
The oversight committee has told the Premier’s office and the two departments to provide a complete report by a certain date. The information in this report is expected to lead to serious arguments in the Gauteng parliament in the coming weeks, as more people ask questions about how the government chooses people to work in government jobs, especially when so many South Africans are looking for work.
