Oliphant claims the charges against her are trumped-up.
While the Department of Social Development is tasked with protecting the vulnerable, empowering women and standing against gender-based violence, the department is being torn apart by factionalism.
The department this week suspended its spokesperson, Lumka Oliphant, for various work-related matters.
However, Oliphant claimed she was suspended because the Minister of Social Development, Sisisi Tolashe, believed that she had leaked information to the media about a R3 million trip that the department had spent on six delegates who were on a two-week trip to New York.
Oliphant also claimed she is being punished because of her relationship with the former President of the ANCYL, Bathabile Dlamini.
Dlamini has been seen as a follower of the RET faction, while Tolashe, the current President of the ANCWL, is a follower of renewal in the ANC.
Oliphant slams Tolashe
“Sisisi, who does not even have a matric, has been ridiculing my work even though I remain one of the best performing heads of communication in government, according to GCIS.
“She 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,” she said.
DA calls for accountability at Social Development
However, DA shadow minister for Social Development, Alexandra Abrahams, questioned Oliphant’s relationship with the different leaders of the ANCWL.
“The question we must ask is, did Ms Oliphant, who was initially a political appointee in both Bathebile Dlamini and Lindiwe Zulu’s political office, go through the required HR processes to be appointed into a government position?
“And, if her appointment and performance are merit-based, [that would] ensure politics stay out of the department.”
Abrahams said ministers cannot choose which senior managers they would like to work with in government since these are government appointees.
“The senior management plays an important role in the implementation of these plans, and thus ensuring merit-based appointments in these positions are important and should not be swapped and changed on the basis of personal preference,” she said.
She said South Africans are within their rights to be upset about the amount of money spent by the department in New York.
“We often hear there is no money for more social workers or SASSA client-facing staff.
“We must practice oversight on the real impact this trip had,” she said.
The Citizen has reached out to Oliphant for comment. This article will be updated as soon as she responds.
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What is happening in the ANCWIL?
Meanwhile, political analyst Susan Booysen criticised the ANCWL for being embroiled in factional battles and failing to push the agenda of women inside the ANC.
For decades, the ANCWL has been pushing for the country’s first female president, but that has not been achieved.
“They did not play the game in any way that could make women proud. They have had so many opportunities, yet we do not see the contribution that they make.
“Overall, I think they have been very disappointing,” she said.
Booysen said the ANCWL find themselves embroiled in a battle between the RET faction and the CR17 faction, which is in power now.
“The mistrust still carries on as long as there is still the next leadership contest of the ANC, they are going to reinvent the divisions and the factions.
“The RET faction is still there, and it finds fertile ground in that the Ramaphosa government is in a coalition with the DA, which is presented to be counter-RET,” she said.
Sanet Solomon, of the University of Free State (UFS), told The Citizen that the RET faction has tried to make several comebacks.
“Given that Ramaphosa’s term is coming to an end soon, it is highly likely that they might be planning a comeback.
”This could possibly explain why certain political ‘leaders’ are commenting on current events in the country,” she said.
Another political analyst from the University of South Africa (UNISA), Dirk Kotzé, stated that the ANCWL has lost its influence.
“At the moment, the ANCWL play a very low-key role, so they are not powerful in terms of internal ANC politics. They are barely a serious factor, and it has been like this for some time,” he said.
