Serious ethical concerns have emerged within the Department of Social Development after allegations surfaced that Minister Sisisi Tolashe is in a romantic relationship with her special adviser, Ngwako Kgatla, who is reportedly being protected from disciplinary action.
Sources inside the department claim that Tolashe’s close relationship with Kgatla has allowed him to wield unusual influence over departmental operations and that she has gone to great lengths to keep him by her side — first while serving as deputy minister in the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) and now as social development minister.
Leaked screenshots allegedly showing affectionate WhatsApp exchanges between the two have further fuelled speculation that their relationship is more personal than professional. Messages reportedly include phrases such as “Good night love of my heart” and “I miss you my baby.” Although Daily Maverick could not independently verify the screenshots, insiders insist the relationship is an “open secret” within the department.
Responding to the allegations, department spokesperson Sandy Godlwana said the minister “will not dignify these defamatory and baseless claims,” adding that her personal life is private. Kgatla dismissed the messages as “fake” and part of an orchestrated campaign by “State Capture beneficiaries” to undermine his and the minister’s work.
Despite denials, internal records suggest Kgatla benefited from preferential treatment. Documents reveal that while employed as parliamentary and cabinet coordinator under Tolashe at the DWYPD in October 2023, he was simultaneously drawing a salary as a business development manager for Northwest Transport Investment (NTI), earning an additional R47,000 per month. Such “double-dipping” — receiving two government salaries — violates public service regulations.
Officials at DWYPD began investigating Kgatla early in 2024 after obtaining his NTI payslips, but no disciplinary action took place before Tolashe’s promotion to social development minister in June. Within weeks of assuming her new role, she wrote to the Minister of Public Service and Administration, requesting that Kgatla be appointed as her full-time special adviser, earning an annual salary of R1.43 million.
A disciplinary hearing against Kgatla was later scheduled for December 2024 but was reportedly never held. In September 2025, the department’s director-general ruled that it lacked authority to discipline Kgatla, as he was employed at the minister’s discretion rather than as a departmental staff member. Critics say this ruling effectively shielded him from accountability.
Insiders allege that Kgatla’s influence inside the department continues to grow. “He makes announcements that should come from the director-general,” said one staffer, adding that employees now strive to stay in his “good books.”
The controversy deepened when Daily Maverick exposed the attempted appointment of Kgatla’s 22-year-old niece as Tolashe’s chief of staff — a move reversed after it was revealed she did not meet the post’s minimum qualifications.
Governance expert Tebogo Khaas of Public Interest SA warned that such entanglements blur professional boundaries and corrode public trust. “When staff believe decisions are driven by personal relationships rather than merit, it undermines morale and credibility,” he said. “Shielding an individual from legitimate disciplinary action signals that political proximity trumps ethical conduct.”
The Department of Social Development insists the matter remains under internal review, but the scandal raises troubling questions about accountability and ethical leadership within one of South Africa’s most critical ministries.
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