Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Social Development has condemned serious allegations involving the Minister of Social Development, following claims published by Daily Maverick.
Committee Chairperson Bridget Masango said the allegations, if proven true, point to a serious breach of public trust.
“Public money is not personal money. It is collected from South Africans to serve the people, especially the most vulnerable,” Masango said.
The report alleges that a departmental employee was deployed to work at a private residence while being forced to hand over part of her salary to a member of the Minister’s family. Masango said this would amount to misconduct if confirmed.
“The reported use of a state-paid employee for private household work… raises critical questions about compliance with the Public Finance Management Act,” she said.
The committee confirmed it will request a full briefing from the department and has also invited the Minister to appear before it to respond to the allegations
