News24 | Social development director-general to face disciplinary process

Social Development director-general Peter Netshipale will face a disciplinary process for “serious concerns arising from his conduct in the performance of his duties”.

• Social Development director-general Peter Netshipale will face a disciplinary process for “serious concerns arising from his conduct in the performance of his duties”.
• This comes after Netshipale, in a presentation to Parliament, sought to justify money officials had spent on a New York trip earlier this year.
• The minister has given Netshipale the opportunity to make written representations.

Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe will institute a disciplinary process against the director-general in the department, Peter Netshipale after “serious concerns arising from his conduct in the performance of his duties”.

“Having applied her mind and considered all relevant facts, the minister has taken a decision — in the best interests of the department to institute formal processes in line with the Public Service Act and the Senior Management Service (SMS) handbook,” the department’s acting spokesperson, Sandy Godlwana, said.

“The minister has afforded the director-general the opportunity to make written representations by 20 October 2025, following which the matter will proceed in accordance with due process.”

READ | Tolashe to table report on department’s R3m New York trip, affirms whistleblowers’ rights

Godlwana said that, since the “matter remains internal and under consideration”, the department will not comment further.

Last week, in a presentation to Parliament, Netshipale sought to justify money officials had spent on a New York trip earlier this year.

The trip, first exposed by the Sunday Times in August, came with a price tag of more than R3 million, which was spent on travel and accommodation for seven social development officials, including Tolashe, so that they could attend the Commission on the Status of Women.

During his presentation in Parliament, Netshipale contended that the amount was “modest”.

Last month, social development department spokesperson Lumka Oliphant was suspended after information about the trip to New York was leaked to the Sunday Times and City Press.

In a statement, Oliphant confirmed her suspension and said: “The department, Sisisi in particular, believes that I leaked the information to the Sunday Times and [for] previous reports by the City Press, just because I have worked with almost every journalist and worked at City Press in particular.”