The Department of Social Development (DSD) spent more than R670 000 on hotel accommodation for its chief director of communications, Sandy Godlwana, raising questions about how it manages the public purse. During this time, Godlwana was appointed in an acting capacity between October 2025 and May 2026 after being transferred from the KwaZulu-Natal office of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa). She was permanently appointed to the post in May 2026.
Godlwana’s relocation costs from the KwaZulu-Natal Sassa office to the national department of social development in Pretoria amounted to R670 590.50 during her acting tenure. A Mail & Guardian source alleged that Godlwana continued to stay in hotel accommodation after her permanent appointment, despite departmental provisions that typically allow for a month of relocation support. “Previously, there were people who acted in the position without requiring relocation costs,” the source said.
The two acting incumbents were Nomfundo Xulu-Lentsoane, who served in the role for two months between September and October 2025 and Bathembu Futshane, who acted for six months from February 2025. Godlwana’s relocation was seconded in an internal memo by Samuela Boshielo, a senior human resources practitioner and approved by the then-director-general, Peter Netshipale. “I have read the submission line by line and looked at the recommendations and the supporting documents and hereby declare the submission as quality assured,” Boshielo wrote in an internal memorandum recommending the appointment and relocation.
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Godlwana has denied the allegations and said the department had to cover her relocation costs as she was moved from another province to assist the communication team at the national office. “If you are seconded, you can’t be paying out of your own cost when you are assisting. “I wasn’t in the position permanently,” said Godlwana.
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