The Department of Social Development, led by Honourable Minister Ms Sisisi Tolashe, today appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Social Development in Parliament, where the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) presented the 2024/25 audit outcomes of the Department and its entities, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the National Development Agency (NDA).
The overall audit outcome of the Department for the 2024/25 financial year is a qualified audit opinion with findings. While this reflects a change from the previous year’s outcome, the Department has already initiated concrete steps to strengthen its control environment and ensure alignment with financial and reporting standards.
The areas identified relate mainly to data dependencies with other institutions, limited systems integration for identifying ineligible beneficiaries, and incomplete supporting documentation for certain transactions under transfers and subsidies.
These challenges are being addressed through structured interventions and closer collaboration with partner institutions to improve data reliability and accuracy in reporting.
To ensure that corrective measures are sustained, the Department has implemented a comprehensive Audit Intervention Framework that guides managers in identifying the root causes of findings and developing targeted, costed, and time-bound action plans. This framework underscores the Department’s commitment to accountability and its broader culture of continuous improvement.
Minister Tolashe highlighted several key achievements that demonstrate the Department’s dedication to social justice and inclusive development. During the year under review, the social assistance programme expanded significantly, reaching over 28 million eligible individuals.
More than 13.1 million children benefited from the Child Support Grant, while around 4.1 million older persons received the Old Age Grant. Minister Tolashe emphasised that fulfilling the Department’s pledge to leave no one behind requires steadfast commitment to addressing child and adult poverty — both now and in the years ahead.
She also addressed ongoing matters concerning the Postbank and SASSA that have drawn public attention, noting that the President of the Republic has referred the issue to an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for resolution. “We will inform this Committee of the IMC’s deliberations and decision in due course,” the Minister said.
She further emphasised that the termination of the Master Service Agreement does not affect beneficiaries’ entitlement to access their grants and that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure compliance with legislative and financial governance requirements.
SASSA received an unqualified audit opinion on its annual financial statements from the Auditor-General. Minister Tolashe commended this achievement but urged the agency to aim even higher. “I will be more pleased to see SASSA moving towards a clean audit in the next financial years. I have directed the CEO to meticulously deal with all findings of the Auditor-General and to provide progress reports to my office regularly,” she said.
The NDA, which will present its report to Parliament tomorrow, continues to strengthen governance, fill critical vacancies, and enhance monitoring systems. It also maintains strong partnerships with civil society organisations to link social grant beneficiaries to economic opportunities and sustainable livelihoods.
Through its appearance before Parliament, the Department reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, financial discipline, and effective service delivery. While acknowledging areas for improvement, Minister Tolashe reiterated that the Department remains steadfast in its mission to build an accountable, efficient, and people-centred social development system that delivers dignity, security, and opportunity to South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens.
Enquiries:
Ms Sandy Godlwana
Acting Chief Director: Communication
Cell: 082 678 5634
#GovZAUpdates
