The Department of Social Development has suspended its Chief Director of Communications, Lumka Oliphant, following a public outcry over a reported R3-million expenditure on a two-week ministerial trip to New York City.
The suspension comes after news broke that the department had disclosed the multi-million rand spend in a reply to a parliamentary question, information which is a matter of public record. Despite this, Oliphant claims she is being scapegoated for the ensuing negative media coverage.
In an exclusive interview, Oliphant stated she was “baffled” by the suspension. “Parliamentary questions are a public document and journalists report on parliamentary questions all the time,” she said, pushing back against the implication that she had leaked the information.
Oliphant has publicly alleged that her suspension is not about the New York trip report but is instead a casualty of political infighting within the department. She specifically pointed to a fraught relationship between the current Minister, Sisisi Tolashe, and her predecessor, Bathabile Dlamini.
“I have been labeled as an enemy of the minister,” Oliphant claimed, alleging that Minister Tolashe consistently “picks on” and “tries to bash” her work in executive meetings to embarrass her. She believes she is being targeted due to her perceived association with the former minister.
The suspended official leveled further serious allegations, claiming that a “nexus” of individuals close to the minister is orchestrating a purge. She identified the minister’s special adviser, as “pulling the strings from behind.”
Furthermore, Oliphant alleged that the advisers niece, who serves as the minister’s acting chief of staff, lied on her CV about previous work experience with a late deputy minister—a claim Oliphant says she verified by having sight of the CV.
When asked for the official reason for her suspension, Oliphant stated the letter cited issues related to departmental programs she had never worked on, including one called NISIS, which she said she had previously advocated for in Parliament.
The Department of Social Development was offered a right of reply but declined to comment on the matter.
The suspension has ignited a firestorm, raising questions not only about the multi-million rand New York expenditure but also about alleged internal purges and potential irregularities in ministerial staff appointments.