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The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has accused the Department of Social Development (DSD) and its agency SASSA of sliding “back into scandal and chaos.” The statement, issued on 09 October 2025 in Pretoria by Acting Secretary-General Zandile Phiri, claimed that the department had “regressed into a web of mismanagement, patronage, and disregard for the poor.
What Happened
The UDM raised alarm over ongoing governance failures, ethical breaches, and weak accountability within the department. According to the Auditor-General’s latest report, the DSD recorded irregular expenditure, weak internal controls, and declining financial performance. As a result, the UDM said, service delivery continues to deteriorate.
The party blamed Minister Sisisi Tolashe for the alleged collapse of leadership and oversight. It cited several troubling incidents, including a R3 million trip to New York, the appointment of a 22-year-old Chief of Staff, and a romantic relationship with a special adviser. These actions, the UDM said, reveal “a culture of arrogance and abuse of power.”
Official Response
“The Department of Social Development has lost its moral compass,” said Phiri.
She compared Minister Tolashe’s leadership to that of former Minister Bathabile Dlamini, who faced corruption and perjury charges. Phiri argued that the department had once again become “captured by insiders and indifferent to the suffering of the poor.”
Furthermore, the UDM urged the Government of National Unity (GNU) to act decisively. “The GNU cannot succeed if some members treat public office as personal property,” the statement read. Phiri also called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to ensure that accountability is applied evenly across all departments.
Community Impact
The UDM warned that millions of pensioners, people with disabilities, and child grant beneficiaries continue to suffer due to weak management at DSD and SASSA. “Behind every scandal is a pensioner who sleeps hungry, a child whose grant is delayed, and a family whose only income disappears in bureaucratic confusion,” Phiri said.
To restore public trust, the UDM demanded a forensic investigation into all DSD and SASSA contracts and appointments. It also called for the separation of Postbank from the collapsing Post Office, a review of the social grant payment system, and stronger parliamentary oversight to protect vulnerable citizens.
Phiri concluded, “The welfare of South Africans cannot depend on a ministry drowning in scandal and a payment system built on failure.”
