There had been widespread speculation that the former social development minister, who resigned from parliament in June, would be given a diplomatic post.
The DA sent a lawyer’s letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa in September, threatening to sue if Dlamini got such a post.
The letter raised concerns by the party, saying “it would seem ambassador positions are reserved for those politicians who have failed their country and who have been proven to be guilty of misconduct, inter alia, during their term of service in high executive office”, reported TimesLIVE.
In September 2018, the Constitutional Court found Dlamini personally liable for 20% of the legal costs incurred over the Sassa fiasco.
Dlamini was appointed to the new position by human settlements, water and sanitation minister Lindiwe Sisulu.
Sisulu's spokesperson Makhosini Mgitywa defended the appointment in an interview with Bongani Bingwa on radio 702 on Friday, saying Dlamini had the “institutional memory” needed to solve the country’s social housing issues.
“She remains a member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC, she is the president of the Women’s League of the ANC and we have to accept the fact that there is a deployment committee of the ANC,” said Mgitywa.
“She is not in charge of the budget … she has influence at policy level,” he said
“Social housing has to be regulated so that it is not cheated, it does not lose money unnecessarily … we think that she is a person that can help us with solving the social housing issues in the country, given her background in social development.”
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