Lumka Oliphant Speaks Out After Unfair Dismissal Ruling

Lumka Oliphant has spoken out after a bargaining council ruled that her dismissal from the Department of Social Development was both procedurally and substantively unfair. The former chief director of communications said she has been left with nothing but her name and her dignity.

In an interview with SABC News, Oliphant questioned those who enabled the actions of former Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe. She also called on the Public Service Commission to investigate the dismissals of other public servants who, she believes, suffered similar treatment.

The Public Health and Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Council handed down its award on 17 October 2026, exactly a year after Oliphant was dismissed. Arbitrator Suria van Wyk found that the department failed to prove any of the charges against her. These included claims that she violated her security clearance, broke government communication rules, showed gross insolence, prejudiced the department’s work, and brought it into disrepute.

The council ordered the department to reinstate Oliphant with effect from 1 November 2026. She must return to her post on the same terms and conditions she had before her dismissal, with no loss of benefits. The department was also ordered to pay her R1 535 516 in back pay, covering 12 months’ remuneration. The money must be paid in two equal instalments by the middle of November and December 2026.

Oliphant was placed on precautionary suspension in September 2025. She was dismissed the following month after the department said she had not properly answered the charges against her. Her suspension came around the same time that media reports emerged about a costly overseas trip by the former minister. Oliphant has always denied that she leaked information about the trip.

Former Minister Tolashe was later removed from Cabinet in May 2026. Oliphant has said she is ready to return to work and to work with the new leadership of the department. She maintains that public servants must be free to speak out when things go wrong and that she will not be silenced.

The ruling marks the end of a long and bitter labour dispute. It also raises questions about how senior officials in government departments are treated when they fall out of favour. Oliphant has urged the Public Service Commission to look into other cases where public servants were dismissed under similar circumstances.

Source: https://x.com/SABCNews/status/2112562589548863489

Patrona feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com