Lumka Oliphant has been dismissed as Social Development Head of Communication after she was accused of leaking details about Minister Sisisi Tolashe’s R3 million New York trip.
In a letter dated October 17, 2025, addressed to Oliphant, Director-General Peter Netshipale said he was left with no choice to dismiss her after she failed to make representations in relation to the charges.
“To give effect to your right to procedural fairness, I invited you to make representations in relation to the charges. You have elected to leave the charges unchallenged and undisputed. You were further informed that you were found guilty of misconduct and requested to respond in mitigation of your sentence. You also elected to disregard such an opportunity to mitigate.
“Your election has left me with no choice but to dismiss you from your employment as Chief Director: Communication for the Department of Social Development,” read the letter.
Netshipale further added that Oliphant must return all departmental assets to the individual delivering the dismissal letter.
“The department thanks you for all the services you have rendered to the people of South Africa during your tenure and wishes you all the best for your future endeavours,” Netshipale concluded.
Oliphant, who was placed on precautionary suspension with full pay, has been accused of leaking the information about Tolashe’s trip to the Sunday Times, an allegation she has strongly denied.
“Just because I have worked with almost every journalist and worked at City Press in particular, the department, Sisisi in particular, believes that I leaked the information to the Sunday Times and previous reports by the City Press,” Oliphant said at the time.
Speaking at the time, she described the suspension as politically motivated, claiming it stems from ongoing internal tensions within the department.
“She (Minister Tolashe) has taken her political fight with Bathabile Dlamini to the department and has been victimising me in every meeting, but I decided to give her the respect she deserves as a leader and umntu omdala,” Oliphant said.
She also claimed that a ministerial advisor, Ngwako Kgatla, was influencing decisions against her.
“This suspension is because one of the advisors, Ngwako Kgatla, has been telling everyone that I am the minister’s enemy because I worked with Bathabile,” she added.
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