By Staff Writer.

• Minister Sisisi Tolashe will return to Komani on 28 November to lead the Integrated Community Registration Outreach Programme, bringing essential Department of Social Development (DSD), South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and National Development Agency (NDA) services directly to the community.
• The outreach will focus on urgent social issues raised during her previous visit, including gender-based violence, child abuse, child malnutrition and poverty, with a strong emphasis on supporting survivors and empowering women.
• As the visit coincides with Disability Rights Awareness Month and the 16 Days of Activism campaign, Minister Tolashe will assess service delivery progress, engage beneficiaries and strengthen partnerships aligned to the District Development Model.

TIn pursuit of improving service delivery through interactive engagement with communities, the Minister of Social Development, Ms Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe, will on Friday, 28 November 2025, take the Integrated Community Registration Outreach Programme (ICROP) and other government services to Nonzwakazi Methodist Church in Mlungisi Township, Eastern Cape Province.The outreach will bring essential government services closer to residents and form part of the Minister’s ongoing commitment to responsive, people-centred social development.

This is Minister Tolashe’s second visit in a space of four months in her drive to speed up the provision of basic services to the communities as rendered by the Department of Social Development (DSD), its agencies, South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and National Development Agency (NDA) and other sister government departments such as the Home Affairs and Health.

On the day, the Minister will, in addition to engaging with SASSA beneficiaries, observe the progress made by NDA with Civil Society Organisations since her previous visit. The observation of progress would include a commitment to structured training sessions meant to strengthen operational and governance initiatives.

This Ministerial ICROP is taking place as the country observes the Disability Rights Awareness Month and the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaigns.

Komani continues to face a range of social challenges, in community dialogues held during the Minister’s previous visit to the area, Gender Based Violence (GBV), child abuse, child malnutrition, and poverty, among others, were flagged as grave concerns that require maximum attention. As a result, supporting GBV survivors, empowering women, shaping new norms and holding perpetrators accountable are amongst areas of interest that the Minister will focus on.

The primary aim of this engagement is to interface directly with communities on matters of social assistance, substance abuse, and GBV-related social ills, and to deliberate on other community- and SASSA-related activities, such as social grant applications, COVID-19 SRD grants, Social Grant Reviews, and other government services.

This ICROP is also aimed at assessing whether the services provided are in line with government’s District Development Model, an approach which promotes efficient and coordinated delivery of services by all three spheres of government.
In addition, the Ministerial programme seeks to build an effective development and service delivery partnership between the government and communities.

Minister Tolashe will, among other dignitaries, be accompanied by the Eastern Cape MEC for Social Development, Ms Bukiwe Fanta; the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SASSA, Mr Themba Matlou; the Acting CEO of NDA, Ms Raphaahle Ramokgopa; the SASSA EC Regional Executive Manager, Mr Bandile Maqetuka; and representatives from local government.