LANA PETERSEN: A LONG CAREER OF RESILIENCE, PURPOSE AND QUIET IMPACT

By Precious Mupenzi

• As the Department of Social Development’s Lana Petersen retires, the department honours her unwavering commitment to serving South Africa and contributing to the country’s social development landscape.
• She describes her career as a “labour of love” that shaped her identity as a public servant committed to serving with dignity and integrity.
• Petersen contributed to some of South Africa’s most significant legislative milestones, including being part of the complex processes of strengthening children’s rights, the care of older persons, and the setting up of the South African Social Security Agency.

After 35 years of dedicated service, the Department of Social Development bids farewell to Lana Petersen, known to colleagues simply as Lana, a public servant whose journey reflects resilience, growth and an unwavering commitment to serving South Africa across both pre- and post-democratic administrations.

Described as determined, compassionate and kind, Petersen’s story begins in Bloemfontein in the Free State, where she was born on 19 December 1967.

Petersen proudly calls herself a “blikoortjie” — a child of the Free State, full of energy, warmth and a zest for life. She recalls a childhood filled with simple joys, walking barefoot to school in summer and growing up as an orphaned survivor from the age of 10.

Her early life was marked by loss and responsibility. She lost her father, a South African Police Service private investigator, at the age of three. Her mother, Maggie, a strong and resourceful woman, fluent in isiXhosa, took over the family business, running a security patrol service while raising her two daughters. Petersen remembers accompanying her on night patrols in a Datsun bakkie, delivering home-cooked meals to security guards and their German shepherd dogs.

Those experiences shaped her outlook on life.

When her mother passed away at just 36, Petersen was forced to grow up quickly. As the eldest child, she took on responsibility for her life with seriousness and determination, a trait that would define her career.

Early days of her career

Petersen entered the public service on 1 August 1990, joining the then Department of National Health and Population Development in the welfare branch as an administration clerk. Her entry into government was not driven by ambition alone, but by necessity: “Pure desperation not to be destitute and to settle my study debt,” she recalls.

In her early role, she worked on budget consolidation using Lotus 1-2-3, translated parliamentary responses from Afrikaans to English, and ensured quality control of submissions.

She also spent time working through old legal statute documents that had not been updated for years, unknowingly laying the foundation for her future in legislative work.

The advent of democracy

With the dawn of democracy in 1994, Petersen’s career took a significant turn. She became deeply involved in parliamentary processes, eventually serving as a parliamentary liaison officer (PLO), a role that placed her at the centre of government administration and legislative coordination.

Over the years, she supported the Executive across different administrations, including working as a PLO to former Minister Geraldine Fraser Moleketi. Her work brought her into close collaboration with leaders such as Dr Zola Skweyiya, former Minister of Social Development, who she describes as a key source of support and guidance — a leader who challenged her to be precise, focused, and intentional in her work.

“He gave me the space to explore my environment, but when you engaged him, you had to be specific and clear,” she says.

From 1994 to 2016, Petersen worked within the parliamentary environment, contributing to the functioning of government at the highest level. She describes this period as one of intense learning, shaped not by formal training, but by collaboration and shared experience among colleagues.

“As PLOs, we learned from each other. The experience and wisdom shared by peers became the best form of learning on the job.”

Legal milestones

Throughout her career, Petersen contributed to some of South Africa’s most significant legislative milestones. She was part of the long and complex process of developing the Children’s Act No. 38 of 2008, a transformative piece of legislation that strengthened children’s rights and opened space for meaningful public participation, including giving children a voice in law-making processes.

Another defining moment came in 2010, following a Carte Blanche investigation into the abuse of older persons in residential care facilities. Petersen took the initiative to bring the issue directly to Minister Skweyiya’s attention before it reached parliamentary committees.

This intervention contributed to the establishment of a Ministerial Committee on the Abuse, Neglect and Ill-treatment of Older Persons, led by the late Tom Manthata – a commissioner at the South African Human Rights Commission. The committee conducted national public hearings and assessments, which later informed legislative amendments in the sector.

The setting up of SASSA

Petersen’s contribution also extended to the development of South Africa’s social protection system. She was part of discussions and processes that followed the Mashava judgement, which exposed inequalities in access to social assistance across provinces. This ultimately contributed to the establishment of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), improving access to services for vulnerable communities.

She worked alongside Professor Vivienne Taylor on social protection research and participated in engagements with international experts from the United Nations and the International Labour Organisation.

She also witnessed the rapid expansion of the Child Support Grant into rural provinces such as the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, helping to equalise access for vulnerable children.

Over time, she observed the evolution of service delivery, including the integration of systems linking beneficiaries to opportunities such as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, and more recently, the introduction of digital platforms such as the Social Relief of Distress COVID-19 application via WhatsApp.

Part of the G20 working group on social protection

In 2025, Petersen’s expertise was recognised internationally when she was nominated by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation to participate in the G20 Development Working Group on Social Protection as a secretariat resource person.

Reflecting on this experience, she notes that it required adapting to new systems, including the use of the Brazilian G20 coding method for tracking inputs live from member states.

“It was one of the most adaptive, meaningful and alive experiences of my career,” she says.

Despite her many achievements, Petersen speaks candidly about the challenges she encountered.

One early lesson came when she tabled the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in Parliament without fully considering certain implications, prompting consulted intervention from Parliament’s Legislation Unit.

“I took responsibility, consulted, and corrected it. Speak up and act — it can be rectified,” she reflects.

Throughout her career, Petersen emphasised the importance of personal growth, boundaries and kindness in the workplace.

“Not everyone who shares laughter with you is a friend. Cool down before you send that email. Silence is also a response,” she advises.

She also highlights the importance of empathy, noting that colleagues often carry unseen challenges. “Be kind. Often, I have no idea what others are facing.”

Professionally, Petersen continued to invest in her development, completing a postgraduate diploma in Social Security Studies at the University of Johannesburg, along with various courses in risk assessment and governance.

She describes her career as a “labour of love” that shaped her identity as a public servant committed to serving with dignity and integrity.

“I have learned that I do not need to be right all the time. I have learned to share knowledge and to listen. Above all, I have learned that I make a difference by fighting for the underdog.”

Reflecting on the evolution of the department, Petersen notes a shift in focus over the years.

“The department has become more policy making orientated and slower on legislative reform,” she explains. “There have been major strides in data analysis and monitoring, especially with systems like EMES driven by Branch Strategy and Organisational Transformation.”

At the same time, she raises an important observation about institutional capacity. “The biggest asset in any organisation is the most productive employees, who are not always retained as specialists with their skill sets,” she says.

Reaching communities

Despite this, Petersen expresses great pride in being part of a department that remains committed to its core mandate. “The Department of Social Development will stop at nothing to reach communities in South Africa or deploy social workers to deal with psychosocial services where needed.”

As she enters retirement, Petersen looks forward to a simpler life — travelling with her husband Lucian, spending time in her garden, and giving back through fostering Labrador puppies with the South African Guide Dogs Association, helping train service dogs for persons with disabilities.

She leaves behind a legacy rooted not in titles, but in impact: “To be remembered as a woman who gave her all, who shared her knowledge generously and experience,” she says.

To her colleagues, she expresses gratitude for being part of her journey, describing her 35 years in the Department as a period of growth and fulfilment.

She will miss the everyday moments, the greetings from security guards, the shared laughter, and the simple ritual of coffee with colleagues.

In her closing reflection, she captures the essence of her journey: “What a privilege to be tired from the work you begged the universe for… what a privilege to be challenged by a life you created on purpose.”

As Lana Petersen closes this chapter, the Department of Social Development honours a life of service that has contributed meaningfully to the country’s social development landscape.

Her story is one of resilience, purpose and quiet impact, a reminder that behind every policy, every programme and every milestone, there are dedicated individuals who carry the work forward.