Appearing before Parliament on Wednesday, Minister Sisisi Tolashe told MPs that any arrangement which saw a state-funded nanny allegedly paying kickbacks to Tolashe's daughter was between the two of them.

Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe told Parliament's portfolio committee on Wednesday that she had "no knowledge" of the fact that a household employee on her department's payroll had been made to pay half her monthly salary to Tolashe's daughter, Kanyisa.

This was in relation to the story broken by Daily Maverick exposing how a "food aide" employed through the Department of Social Development ended up working at Tolashe's private residence in East London and was made to transfer R7,000 monthly to Kanyisa Tolashe's account to help subsidise "household expenses".

During an appearance at which she was backed to the hilt by ANC MPs, Tolashe grew emotional at one stage, saying: "My children, my family, are being haunted by journalists: English, Afrikaans ... it's becoming harassment."

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But while Tolashe has repeatedly denied misleading Parliament, what she told the committee on Wednesday was once again characterised by half-truths, unlikely claims, and in some cases inaccuracies.

Appointment of 22-year-old chief of staff

The Public Service Commission (PSC) chair, Somadoda Fikeni, was present at the meeting to report on the PSC's "own-accord" investigation into Daily Maverick's report that an unqualified 22-year-old, Lesedi Mabiletja, had been appointed as Tolashe's chief of staff.

The...