The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) is displeased with the disjointed claim management process at the Road Accident Fund (RAF), which continues to be an obstacle to claimants receiving what is due to them from the fund.

The second leg of SCOPA’s oversight visit to the RAF has once again exposed deficiencies that render governance at RAF weak and unworkable. The committee noted that staff morale is low, and workers are subject to heightened levels of intimidation, which RAF management has been unable to address.

While SCOPA is convinced of the need for consequence management, this should not be done maliciously, nor in a manner that targets individuals who have highlighted possibly controversial challenges at the RAF. The committee expressed its unhappiness about the poor situation at the RAF and called on RAF management to continue with disciplinary processes where necessary.

The committee remains concerned about the poor document management that is apparent through the large volume of boxes filled with claims that line the office walls, which indicate that storage facilities have not been prioritised. It is also disappointed by the endless list of challenges that prevail at the RAF.

The committee welcomes the necessary legislative reforms that the RAF has highlighted but said that the major challenge at RAF is a leadership collective that refuses to accept any responsibility or accountability for anything that prevails at the institution. These include the disclaimer audit opinion, the inability to pay within the prescribed deadlines, various liabilities and court orders attaching assets.

SCOPA also noted the RAF management’s dictatorial leadership style, which creates an environment that is unfavourable for the fund to successfully meet its objectives.

The committee is scheduled to meet with the Minister of Transport and the RAF board on 30 August 2023 to discuss the issues arising from its oversight visits to the RAF, as well as outstanding matters relating to the 2021/22 financial year.

Source: Parliament of South Africa