NEW SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL MEETS WITH ORGANISED LABOUR

By Sello Tang

• The Department of Social Development’s newly appointed acting director-general has hit the ground running, holding a key meeting with union leaders two weeks into the job.
• Advocate Gugulethu Thimane and the union representatives discussed a range of issues, including employees being moved to new functions in a changing organisational structure.
• The advocate, who has served across national, provincial and local government, brings 25 years of expertise in governance, institutional development and service delivery to the job.

The newly appointed Acting Director-General of Social Development, Advocate Gugulethu Thimane today, 17 April 2026, met with the leadership of organised labour in the Department of Social Development.

The meeting comes barely two weeks after her appointment as the acting director-general, acknowledging the importance of working closely with trade unions to improve workforce performance and deliver services to the public effectively.

The two parties discussed how to deepen and strengthen the relationship between her office and the trade unions, as well as matters affecting employees in the department.

Among the topics discussed were the implementation of a new organisational structure and its migration of employees into new functions, the perceptions of the employees about the current changes taking place in the workplace, and the emotional impact of the new internal controls on the staff.

The Department of Social Development announced the appointment of Advocate Thimane as Acting Director-General on 31 March 2026.

Advocate Thimane has been seconded from the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency, where she currently serves as the deputy director-general responsible for public sector monitoring and capacity development.

With more than 25 years of experience in the public sector, Advocate Thimane has served across national, provincial and local government, bringing extensive expertise in governance, institutional development and service delivery.

She holds academic qualifications in economics, social work, law, and management, reflecting a strong multidisciplinary foundation that aligns with the department’s mandate to deliver integrated and people-centred social services.

Throughout her career, Advocate Thimane has held several senior leadership positions, including the head of department: corporate services and interim municipal manager at the Lesedi Local Municipality, as well as the legal advisor to the executive mayor of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

She also served as a developmental social worker under the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) at the Alberton Town Council. The RDP was a socio-economic policy launched in 1994 to address poverty, inequality, and social service shortfalls in post-apartheid South Africa.

* Additional reporting by DSDNews Reporter