President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed Sisisi Tolashe as minister of social development following a wave of allegations ranging from misleading parliament to governance failures within her department.
Tolashe axed from Cabinet
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed the removal, saying Ramaphosa had engaged directly with Tolashe before acting.
“He has had engagements with the minister and he did inform the minister of his decision to remove her from office,” he said.
Magwenya confirmed that the president had weighed the decision carefully against the backdrop of issues that had already played out publicly.
“He has felt that due to a number of issues, a lot of which have been ventilated in the public domain, it was best to remove the minister,” he said.
Controversies
On 6 May, Tolashe appeared before the parliamentary portfolio committee on social development to answer questions about several allegations, including irregular appointments, food aid distribution concerns, matters involving a former house aide and broader governance failures within her department.
Among the most pointed accusations was that she had misled parliament over vehicles allegedly donated to the ANC Women’s League, as well as questions about the contract of the department’s former director-general.
Tolashe denied the allegations, rejecting claims that she had been dishonest with parliament.
Chikunga steps in as acting minister
With Tolashe’s removal confirmed, Ramaphosa moved swiftly to ensure continuity in the department.
Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has been appointed as acting minister while a permanent replacement is identified.
Magwenya stressed that steadiness in the department was now the immediate priority.
“What is important now going forward is stability in the department. Hence the announcement that Minister Chikunga will be acting in the portfolio until a full-time appointment is made in due course,” he said.
Magwenya said he wasn’t aware of any plans for a broader Cabinet reshuffle.
“I’ll be speculating. The president hasn’t briefed me about a wholesale reshuffle at this stage. He was dealing with a particular issue that he had undertaken to attend to, and he has done that,” he said.
Opposition welcomes the decision
The DA’s Karabo Khakhau made no effort to conceal her satisfaction at the news of Tolashe’s removal.
“Minister Tolashe is fired! Reg so! Parliament is not a place for criminals! Law and order must prevail,” Khakhau said.
Lumka Oliphant, former social department spokesperson, also celebrated Tolashe’s axing. “What an early birthday present from the president!” she said while also posting videos of her excitement on her social media.
Oliphant has been critical of the minister for a long time. Tolashe recently blamed Oliphant for orchestrating a deliberate and sustained campaign to mislead the public and undermine her leadership.
However, on 30 April, Lumka retaliated by calling on Tolashe to step down entirely.
“She must go to the president and submit her resignation so that South Africans can sleep peacefully and the taxpayers of this country can know that they’ll have people who are competent,” Oliphant said.
The pair’s beef follows Oliphant’s placement on precautionary suspension on 1 September 2025 and dismissal on 17 October 2025.
Saftu had already demanded presidential action
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) had, as early as 7 May, called on Ramaphosa to publicly address the allegations against Tolashe, accusing him of staying silent while serious questions mounted around one of his ministers.
In a strongly worded statement, Saftu argued that the gravity of the allegations demanded more than presidential silence.
“Saftu is not a court of law. We do not declare anyone guilty before due process. But these allegations are serious enough to demand immediate presidential clarification, not silence, evasions or factional protection,” the federation said.
Saftu was careful to distinguish between calling for accountability and prejudging the outcome, stressing that its concern was not with Tolashe’s guilt or innocence but with what it described as Ramaphosa’s evasiveness in the face of mounting public scrutiny.
