Parliament, Wednesday, 6 May 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Social Development has affirmed the importance of ministerial oversight on senior departmental and ministerial appointments.
This is following the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) briefing of its provisional findings into irregular appointments within the office of the Minister of Social Development, to the committee today.
The committee, which has been closely monitoring the matter since October 2025, believes the PSC provisional findings confirm serious and systemic failures in recruitment processes at ministerial level.
At the centre of the findings is the irregular appointment of Ms Lesedi Mabiletja as Private Secretary and later acting Chief of Staff. The PSC found that she did not meet the required qualifications or experience and had misrepresented her credentials, including falsely claiming higher qualifications and work experience. The Commission also identified failures by senior officials who enabled the appointment despite clear non-compliance with public service regulations.
Moreover, the Minister’s Special Advisor, Mr Ngwako Kgatla, and former Chief of Staff, Ms Zanele Simmons, incorrectly amended Ms Mabiletja’s CV to include false information that was not in the original version she submitted to Mr Kgatla.
The PSC has provisionally recommended that the Minister facilitate disciplinary action against several officials, including a senior human resource practitioner and the former Chief Director for Human Capital Management, for supporting the irregular appointment despite clear shortcomings. It further found that the former Director-General contravened public service regulations and financial management laws by approving and signing off on the appointment.
In addition, the PSC directed that disciplinary action be instituted against Ms Mabiletja for fraud related to misrepresentation of qualifications and experience. However, she has since resigned. Similar action was directed against a former Chief of Staff for misrepresentations on official documentation, although she has also since been dismissed. The committee also noted that the PSC’s directives are binding and can only be set aside through the courts.
The Minister may rely on officials for administrative processes, but she cannot abdicate her responsibility. She must satisfy herself that every appointment, without exception, is done in line with the law, policy and prescripts governing the public service.
Furthermore, the Minister distanced herself from the allegations in the media about the Food Aide, saying she was not aware of the payment arrangements between her daughter and the Food Aide. The committee will refer this matter to the PSC for further investigation.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, MS BRIDGET MASANGO.
For media enquiries, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Ms Faith Ndenze
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 081 377 0686
Email: fndenze@parliament.gov.za
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