Dina Pule corruption case resurfaces as she takes charge of SASSA budget

Dina Pule’s 2013 ethics ruling has returned to public attention after her appointment as Minister of Social Development, the department responsible for the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and its R271 billion grant budget.

Who, what and when

According to The South African, President Cyril Ramaphosa swore Dina Pule in as Minister of Social Development on 1 July 2026. The post charged her with oversight of SASSA, which administers social grants that affect a substantial portion of the population. The South African reports that nearly 45% of the population rely on SASSA grants.

The 2013 ethics finding

In August 2013 Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics found Pule guilty of concealing a relationship with businessman Phosane Mngqibisa and of willfully misleading Parliament. The committee concluded that Mngqibisa’s company, Khemano, had received around R6 million from the ICT Indaba, a conference run by Pule’s department, and that the company funded his overseas trips to Mexico City, Prague and Paris. Under oath, Pule denied the relationship.

The ethics committee imposed the maximum available penalties at the time: a formal reprimand, a fine equal to 30 days’ salary, a 15-day suspension of parliamentary privileges and exclusion from debates and committees. The committee also recommended criminal charges against Pule for misleading Parliament under oath.

According to The South African, then-Public Protector Thuli Madonsela concluded Pule’s conduct was, “unlawful, improper and constituted maladministration.”

Return to a high-profile portfolio

Pule took over from Sisisi Tolashe, who was removed from the post in May 2026, according to The South African. Tolashe had replaced Lindiwe Zulu, who was also removed from the role; Zulu had followed Bathabile Dlamini, who was linked to the 2017 SASSA payments crisis.

Since taking office, Pule has publicly said,

“It comes with this type of work,”

and has said she will prioritise service delivery for vulnerable South Africans. According to The South African, she has introduced stricter grant reviews and vowed to deploy additional staff to SASSA offices to improve queue management.

Questions and next steps

The ministry will be responsible for arguing for any SASSA grant increases with National Treasury in October 2026, a future budget moment noted in reporting. Observers and beneficiaries will be watching whether the measures Pule has announced affect SASSA’s performance.

Reader engagement and publisher notes

According to The South African, readers were invited to take part in a promotion titled “WIN R5 000: Take The South African’s Winter Reader Survey”. The South African also describes itself on its site as focused on South Africa and its stories and states: “We’re independent. No agenda. No bias.”