On Sunday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his cabinet, confirming a host of changes. One of the major changes was in the Department of Social Development which received a new minister and deputy minister.
The President appointed Nokuzola "Sisisi" Tolashe as the new Minister of Social Development. One of her main responsibilities will be overseeing the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), which plays a critical role in distributing social grants to millions of South Africans.
Tolashe previously served as Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities. Her background includes activism against apartheid and leadership roles within the African National Congress (ANC) Women's League and Parliament.
Tolashe’s appointment as DSD minister sees the replacement of Lindiwe Zulu. Zulu served as the Minister of Social Development between 2019 and 2024 after serving as the Minister of Small Business Development between 2014 and 2019.
The new social development minister will be supported by Ganief Ebrahim Hendricks who was announced as the Deputy Minister of Social Development. Hendricks is the founder and leader of the Al Jama-ah party and has a long career in public service and activism.
Why These Appointments Are Important
The DSD is tasked with providing social security services and empowering vulnerable individuals and communities.
Minister Tolashe's goals will focus on reducing poverty and inequality as well as enhancing the well-being of all South Africans, with particular emphasis on children, women, youth, and people with disabilities.
To achieve these goals, the DSD must effectively facilitate access to social grants and welfare services. They must also carry on in the important work of implementing and reforming social security policies to prevent fraud and improve financial management
Sassa distributes approximately 19 million permanent social grants monthly which include the Older Persons pension grants, Disability grants, War Veterans grants, Care Dependency grants, Foster Child grants, Child Support grants, Child Support grant Top-Up and Grant-in-aid. This is in addition to the approximately nine million beneficiaries of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant.
