Latest news with #RoadAccidentBenefitScheme
Eyewitness News
a day ago
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Transport Ministry mulling possible strategy to put out RAF fires
JOHANNESBURG - The Transport Ministry says it's still mulling possible interventions at the troubled Road Accident Fund (RAF) as a governance crisis persists at the institution. This follows longstanding challenges at the RAF, which has again been thrust into the spotlight by the board's recent decision to suspend Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Collins Letsoalo. RAF has, for long, been plagued with claims of governance failures, financial mismanagement and procurement irregularities. Earlier this week, the RAF rescinded a decision to place Letsoalo on special leave and replaced it with a suspension, citing insubordination. Some members of Parliament (MPs) then called for the board's removal, claiming the move would only create more chaos at an already deeply troubled institution. The transport ministry has now called for a meeting with the RAF board. It says the meeting will evaluate the current board's ability to restore good governance and effective administration at the entity so that it fulfils its primary purpose of compensating road accident victims on time. A decision will then be taken after Tuesday's meeting. The department has also reiterated plans to finalise the Road Accident Benefit Scheme bill. The bill is set to introduce a no-fault system to make it easier for road accident victims to access the benefits without costly legal bills.
IOL News
28-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Letsoalo's suspension sparks uproar: Reformist CEO taken down amid legal backlash
Sources close to the matter claim the suspension of RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo was a calculated move to pacify a deeply aggrieved group of attorneys In a move that has ignited controversy and speculation, Collins Letsoalo, the CEO of the Road Accident Fund (RAF), has been placed on suspension — a decision that legal experts and insiders say is less about accountability and more about political appeasement. Letsoalo's suspension comes just weeks after a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling cleared him and the RAF board of personal liability in two long-delayed claims. While the court's decision offered legal vindication, the political pressure around his leadership has been mounting, largely from within a legal fraternity that has openly waged war on him since his tenure began. Sources close to the matter claim the suspension was a calculated move to pacify a deeply aggrieved group of attorneys, many of whom also serve as magistrates and judges and wield substantial influence and public funds. These lawyers have seen their lucrative RAF-related revenues dry up under Letsoalo's aggressive anti-corruption and reform agenda. Letsoalo is no stranger to conflict. He publicly branded elements of the legal industry as 'thuggish,' accusing some attorneys of manipulating the claims system for personal enrichment at the expense of road accident victims. One of the most high-profile battles was with Gert Nel Incorporated and the Association for the Protection of Road Accident Victims (APRAV), whom Letsoalo accused of fighting transformation and resisting the Road Accident Benefit Scheme (RABS) Bill — a policy shift that threatens the profit models of many legal firms. 'They never cared about victims,' Letsoalo declared during a media briefing in March. 'They cared about the billions they've made off the pain of others.'
