By Johnathan Paoli
The DA has escalated its campaign against Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe, who is also the president of the ANC Women’s League, filing a second ethics complaint in Parliament over the allegations linked to luxury vehicles reportedly donated by the Chinese Embassy.
DA national spokesperson Jan de Villiers said the latest complaint had been lodged with Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests, following an earlier complaint last year.
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The second complaint comes in the wake of the recent controversy over two vehicles allegedly donated by the Chinese Embassy, which the DA claims the minister attempted to conceal or misrepresent.
De Villiers raised two scenarios, which he described as “deeply troubling”.
“The first is that the vehicles in question were donated to the Minister personally, and that she failed to disclose this in the Parliamentary Register of Members’ Interests, and subsequently misled Parliament regarding that non-disclosure,” he said.
“The second is that the vehicles were donated to the ANC Women’s League, and that the Minister fraudulently registered these vehicles in the names of her children to shield the assets from potential attachment by creditors linked to the ANC,” De Villiers added.
He stressed that the allegations cut against the core principles expected of public representatives, and that the code of ethical conduct requires parliamentarians to “uphold principles of selflessness, integrity, objectivity, openness, honesty and leadership”.
The DA confirmed it has also approached President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Public Protector, and law enforcement authorities as part of a broader push for accountability.
The latest move follows an earlier ethics complaint lodged in October 2025, which centred on governance issues within the Department of Social Development.
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That complaint accused Tolashe of misleading Parliament over the appointment of Director-General Peter Netshipale, improperly handling disciplinary processes, shielding a special adviser facing misconduct allegations, and appointing an unqualified individual to her office.
In recent weeks, the DA and other parties have raised concerns about the origin and ownership of the vehicles.
Reports suggest the cars, valued at around R1 million, were allegedly given to Tolashe and later registered in the names of her children, raising questions about compliance with the Executive Ethics Code, which requires presidential approval for gifts exceeding R1,000.
DA spokesperson on Social Development Nazley Sharif previously said the party has intensified its efforts across multiple fronts, including laying criminal charges and calling for a parliamentary inquiry.
“We call on President Ramaphosa to remove Minister Tolashe from office, failing which the DA will continue to use all mechanisms we have launched to hold her to account for this scandal and her irregular office appointments and overreach of powers,” Sharif said.
The DA has also written to Parliament’s Social Development committee demanding a full inquiry, saying that the scale and number of allegations point to a broader pattern of misconduct.
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ActionSA, earlier, opened a criminal case and filed complaints with oversight bodies, and it has criticised the DA for duplicating processes already under investigation.
Meanwhile, Tolashe has indicated she is willing to step down, inviting the president to remove her from office.
Her department previously said the minister remains committed to cooperating with all official processes.
