Minister Tolashe throws her DG under the bus as she faces claims of misleading Parliament

Department of Social Development (DSD) Director-General Peter Netshipale has become the latest top official to face disciplinary charges related to several recent scandals at the department.

A statement released by the DSD on Monday read: “The Department of Social Development confirms that the Minister of Social Development, Ms Nokuzola Gladys Tolashe, has formally communicated with the Director-General, Mr Peter Netshipale, regarding serious concerns arising from his conduct in the performance of his duties”.

It said that Netshipale had been given until 20 October to make written representations, and that the department would not comment further.

A letter from Minister Tolashe to Netshipale, obtained by Daily Maverick, however, makes it clear that he is being blamed for multiple recent HR issues exposed by Daily Maverick – in a way that seems to directly contradict what Tolashe told Parliament last week.

Neither the Minister nor Netshipale responded to Daily Maverick’s requests for comment on Thursday.

The mysterious expanding employment contract

When Tolashe appeared before Parliament’s social development portfolio committee last week, one of the issues she was summoned to explain was related to the employment contract given to Netshipale.

As Daily Maverick reported in September, Netshipale was given a five-year employment contract as DG, despite the fact that Cabinet approved his appointment for only one year.

Documents seen by Daily Maverick also suggested that Netshipale scored lower in psychometric assessments for the DG position than another candidate, Bulumko Nelana, a deputy DG in the Gauteng provincial government.

Tolashe told Parliament last week: “An administrative error occurred in [Netshipale’s] initial appointment letter, which incorrectly reflected a five-year term instead of the one-year term approved by Cabinet”.

She stressed that it was a “clerical error, not an intentional act”, which had now been corrected – and hit out at “mischievous and misleading media reports”.

Tolashe concluded the matter by telling Parliament: “Mr Netshipale’s appointment provides stable leadership at the administrative level and ensures continuity in implementing governance reforms, strengthening compliance systems and restoring public trust”.

Yet the very next day, according to the metadata of the letter in Daily Maverick’s possession, she would write to Netshipale, accusing him of “gross dishonesty”.

Now Netshipale blamed for contract

What is presented in the letter is starkly different from the narrative of the unintentional clerical error given to Parliament.

Instead, Tolashe’s letter charges: 

“As you are well aware, the departmental [sic] the Cabinet appointed you for a period of one year effective from 1 April 2025. I further informed you about a period of a year given your age which will require you to retire in 2026”.

It continues: “Unbeknown to me, you decided to sign a contract of 5 years which has since been varied to be for a period of a year”.

The letter proceeds to charge Netshipale with “Gross Dishonesty, Alternatively Failing on your Duty of Trust and Faith to your Employer” on account of “wilfully signing a 5 year contract of your employment instead of a year”.

Whether the contract term was changed innocently, as Tolashe told Parliament, or intentionally, as she accuses Netshipale of, Tolashe has consistently failed to explain one thing.

That is that the DA MP Alexandra Abrahams asked the Minister via parliamentary questions back in April 2025 what the term of Netshipale’s contract was, and received this answer: “The duration of the contract for the newly appointed director-general in my department is five years (2025-2030). This is in line with the current prevailing prescripts.”

Why would the error, or the fraud, not have been detected at this point?

Netshipale thrown under the bus for other scandals

Tolashe’s letter to Netshipale also accuses him of having “further failed to scrutinise the appointments in the office of the Minister thus bringing the office of the Minister in disrepute”.

This seems to be a reference to the appointment, also exposed by Daily Maverick, of Lesedi Mabiletja, an unqualified 22-year-old, to be Tolashe’s chief of staff: a position which is filled at the discretion of the relevant minister.

Tolashe’s letter states: “You brought the Department into disrepute by drawing negative media attention to the Department because of your actions”.

Yet Tolashe made it clear to Parliament last week that she had already pinned the blame for this appointment on her former chief of staff, Zanele Simmons, who she accused of “knowingly falsifying a CV submitted in support of Ms Mabiletja”.

Tolashe gave no indication of what motivation Simmons could possibly have for this alleged act, and Simmons is taking legal action. The Minister has also consistently failed to explain the fact that Mabiletja is the niece of her favoured special adviser, Ngwako Kgatla.

“Enough is enough” - DA

In response to the latest action against Netshipale, DA MP Abrahams said, “Enough is enough”.

In a statement on Wednesday, which termed the Netshipale developments as “the last straw”, Abrahams called on Tolashe to “return from her overseas trip and appear before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Social Development to explain how she will address the ongoing crises in her department”.

Abrahams also stated that she was alarmed that Tolashe had chosen to retain Kgatla as her special adviser amid allegations of misconduct, writing: “Sources indicate that his influence over departmental decisions is concerning, and that the relationship may extend beyond the professional sphere”.

Abrahams concluded: “South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens cannot continue to bear the brunt of poor leadership. Minister Tolashe must get her house in order.” DM

Correction: Daily Maverick had initially included a document which included the ID number of Peter Netshipale. We have since redacted his ID number.