A day after the Sunday Times published an expose on the department of social development’s lavish R3m spend on sending six delegates to a New York workshop, department spokesperson Lumka Oliphant has been suspended.
Oliphant, who responded to the Sunday Times’ queries about the junket, was on Monday afternoon placed on suspension. She is chief director of communications in the DSD.
“Your attention is drawn to potential allegations of misconduct against you, in that on or about the 2024/25 financial year, you allegedly mismanaged the IJS (Integrated Justice System) programme and the NISPIS (National Integrated Social Protection System),” read the suspension letter served on Oliphant by social development director-general Peter Netshipale.
He said the suspension was with immediate effect, that Oliphant was to remain on full pay pending the outcome of an investigation and that she was not to access any DSD offices or have contact with any person linked to the investigation against her. The suspension, she was told, was “only a precautionary meaduse and does not constitute a judgment/sanction”.
She was told the investigation into her conduct would look into mismanagement of the IJS and possible unauthorised expenditure, possible collusion between service providers and officials as well as an investigation into the R6m NISPIS deal.
Oliphant believes her suspension has nothing to do with the IJS and NISPIS cases. Her suspension comes shortly after she was notified that the videos her department had created for the IJS project were to receive a global award. The videos have won a certificate of merit at the International Social Security Video Festival 2025 to be awarded at a ceremony to take place later this month in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Oliphant was a journalist for more than a decade before transitioning into public service, taking on the role of chief director of communications in the DSD. In 2017 she made headlines for a fiery defence of then-social development minister Bathabile Dlamini on social media, later expressing regret for her language but affirming that she felt compelled to speak up.
Later that year she again made headlines by refusing to respond in English during a Radio 702 interview — choosing instead to speak in Zulu, prompting a contentious discussion on language and representation in South African media.
I believe it is not about this. I believe that Sisisi (DSD minister Sisisi Tolashe) has brought her fight with Bathabile in the department and I have always been her target. They believe that I leaked the information to the Sunday Times
— DSD spokesperson Lumka Oliphant
Bold, unapologetic and deeply rooted in her identity and heritage, Oliphant’s challenges intensified when she was last year appointed acting deputy director-general for corporate support services, a position she held for a year until the end of July.
As acting director-general, she frequently appeared before the parliamentary portfolio committee, presenting the DSD’s progress on key priorities.
She does not believe her suspension is warranted and feels she is the victim of departmental infighting.
“I believe it is not about this. I believe that Sisisi (DSD minister Sisisi Tolashe) has brought her fight with Bathabile in the department and I have always been her target. They believe that I leaked the information to the Sunday Times. They believe that I leaked the information to City Press just because I was a journalist and City Press is my previous employer,” Oliphant told TimesLIVE Premium after receiving her suspension notice.
She said her involvement in the IJS had actually cut costs for the department, and had been a success.
Referring to the allegations of unauthorised expenditure in the department that has been picked up by the auditor-general, Oliphant said: “If they are talking about the AG finding, then the DG should be suspended because we have multi-billion funding and a qualification on Sassa.”
Tolashe has been contacted for comment on the matter. Her response will be added as soon as it is received.
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