President Cyril Ramaphosa has expelled embattled social development minister Sisisi Tolashe.
Ramaphosa’s office confirmed the dismissal in a statement issued on Thursday afternoon, stating cabinet minister Sindisiwe Chikunga will, in the interim, take over social development.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has in terms of section 91(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, removed Minister Sisisi Tolashe from the position of Minister of Social Development.
“In the interim, President Ramaphosa has appointed the minister in the presidency for women, youth and persons with disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, as the acting minister in the portfolio pending a full-time appointment in due course,” said Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya.
DA had called for Tolashe’s removal
Ramaphosa pulled the trigger after recently elected DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis went on his social media account to call on the president to fire Tolashe.
“President Ramaphosa must immediately remove Minister Sisisi Tolashe from the Government of National Unity, following serious corruption allegations against her,” wrote Hill-Lewis on X.
“The GNU cannot ask South Africans to believe in reform while tolerating conduct that undermines it. While the ANC often protects compromised leaders, the DA fights for clean government,” he said.
Tolashe’s troubles started following a trip to New York in March 2025, which cost the taxpayers about R3-million for a UN event.
DA, a member of the GNU, and opposition party ActionSA filed criminal complaints against Tolashe in April after she registered cars which were used by a Chinese delegation. The DA accused Tolashe of fraud and a potential statutory offence for the registration of vehicles she and her family used and that were donated by Chinese delegation.
Both parties also filed complaints against her to the Parliament’s Ethics Committee. This was after she also failed to declare the vehicles to Parliament as required by the Executive Ethics Code.
Tolashe claimed that the vehicles were intended for the ANCWL. However, it ANCWL leadership denied knowledge about the Chinese vehicles.
Tolashe had initially registered vehicles under the names of her children, with claims that she did so to protect them in case the ANC loses its assets in many of its legal troubles.
Both vehicles are worth R900 000 combined.
Tolashe did not answer her phone when called for comment.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa has expelled embattled social development minister Sisisi
Ramaphosa's office confirmed the dismissal in a statement issued on
"President Cyril Ramaphosa has in terms of section 91(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of
"In the interim, President Ramaphosa has appointed the minister in the presidency for women, youth and persons with disabilities,
Ramaphosa pulled the trigger after recently elected DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis went on his social media account to call on the president to fire
"President Ramaphosa must immediately remove Minister Sisisi
"
DA, a member of the GNU, and opposition party ActionSA filed criminal complaints against
