Embattled social development minister Sisisi Tolashe has thrown her own daughter under the bus, telling MPs that she made her own arrangement when she got her “food aide” ― a household employee — to share her salary with her.
Tolashe was appearing before parliament’s oversight committee on social development to account for several scandals that she and her department have been embroiled in since her appointment in 2024.
Tolashe, who is also the president of the ANC Women’s League, told MPs her “electronic signature” has been fraudulently used to secure a five-year contract for the department’s former director-general Peter Netshipale, in defiance of a cabinet directive for a one-year contract.
The Daily Maverick last week exposed how Tolashe’s daughter, Khanyi, was allegedly pocketing half of the household employee’s R15,000 monthly salary, apparently against public service regulation.
The helper was initially employed to serve Tolashe and her family at their state allocated home in Cape Town, but she ended up servicing them at their private house in East London, which was also in breach of public service rules.
Tolashe stunned MPs when she told them that the “food aide” had requested to be moved to the Eastern Cape because she was intending to undergo training to become a traditional healer.
And then she dropped a bombshell when she reported that her daughter and the employee had entered into a private arrangement that had nothing do with her.
When I come to the payments to the daughter, chair, I have no knowledge of that, because the salary came straight from the department to her bank account.
— Social development minister Sisisi Tolashe
“About the food aide, Ms Nomathamsaqa Kuhlanga, she was employed as a temporary food aide under public service regulations. On the salary that was split into two, I can categorically state that Ms Kuhlanga was employed by the department in the official residence in Cape Town,” she said.
“When I come to the payments to the daughter, chair, I have no knowledge of that, because the salary came straight from the department to her bank account.
“When she was appointed, she reported that she’s unable to stay in Cape Town because of her state of health. She was told she must be in the Eastern Cape. It was then when she went to the Eastern Cape she stayed with the daughter.
“But between the two of them, they had their own arrangement which I was not aware of, until now. When I asked Khanyisa, my daughter, she had no knowledge of that, except for them having to stay together, share things between the two of them which I have no knowledge of.”
“We parted ways with Ms Nomathamsaqa out of her own request because she has illness of ukhuthwasa (training to be a traditional healer), she realised she had to go, she was overwhelmed. She requested that she be released and she was released as early as last year already.”
But this did not sit well with DA MP Nazley Sharif and Dereleen James from ActionSA, who both accused the minister of “throwing her own daughter under the bus” to save her political career.
“Chairperson I am concerned that the minister has thrown her own daughter under the bus in an open meeting, saying that she has no idea of what was happening but yet we have evidence. This on a DSD letterhead.
“Accountability is about saying ‘yes, this is what has happened’. Accountability is not to say ‘it’s not my fault’. In this presentation by the minister, the minister takes no accountability for any scandals that she has presented on. It’s never her fault, it seems to be everybody else’s fault,” said Sharif.
However, ANC MPs closed ranks around one of their own, with some of them dismissing the matter of the food aide as nothing but rumours and gossip circulating on social media.
But Bridget Masango, the DA MP who chairs the social development committee, would not have it.
She immediately asked the Public Service Commission, led by Prof Somadoda Fikeni, to probe the matter.
Fikeni undertook to do so, saying the issue was within the PSC’s “ambit”.
Turning to the matter of her former DG, Tolashe reported that a forensic probe had found that her signature was apparently forged when the former DG’s contract was signed for five years instead of one.
“I did not sign the DG’s five-year contract, my electronic signature was attached to that. That’s what informed [me] to call for a forensic investigation,” said Tolashe.
The PSC found, after its investigation, that the former DG had overseen the irregular appointment of Tolashe’s private secretary, who also acted as her chief of staff without the required qualifications and submitted “three contradictory CVs” during the process leading to her being hired.
The PSC has recommended disciplinary action against all officials involved and that the SIU probe the matter further.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.