RAF disbursed R18 billion to foreign claimants over five years, CEO discloses
RAF disbursed R18 billion to foreign claimants over five years, CEO discloses
In the last half-decade, the Road Accident Fund (RAF) has disbursed R18 billion to individuals from foreign countries who lodged claims.
Notably, a portion of these claimants were residing unlawfully in South Africa at the time of the accidents.
RAF disbursed R18 billion to foreign claimants
According to Collins Letsoalo, the CEO of Road Accident Fund, in an interview with Sowetan, the agency has been paying an estimated annual sum of at least R3.6 billion to foreign nationals over the past five years.
“Foreigners can just claim and that is the problem. Most of them are undocumented ,when we say to them, ‘give us a stamped passport’, they refuse. You can’t refuse unless you are here illegally,” he said.
Even though the foreigners were residing unlawfully in the country, Letsoalo noted that the RAF continued to provide payments to them.
However, in July 2022, the RAF ceased payments to these individuals after implementing new minimum requirements, which included the necessity of presenting stamped passports.
Letsoalo mentioned that the agency faced legal action and is presently contesting a ruling from the Pretoria High Court.
The court found that the RAF and the Minister of Transport exceeded their authority by issuing a directive that barred undocumented foreigners involved in accidents from accessing benefits from the fund.
According to Sowetan Live, the agency contended that permitting undocumented foreign nationals to make claims from the RAF under the act would violate the provisions that prohibit aiding and abetting undocumented foreigners in contravention of either the Immigration Act or the Refugees Act.
Nevertheless, the court deemed the argument to be lacking in substance.
Letsoalo also informed Sowetan that the RAF is handling a case involving three Belgians who were exchange students at Wits University.
They were injured in a bus accident while traveling, and the RAF is addressing their claims.
RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo criticised legislation as he launched campaign to clear backlog
RAF CEO criticised legislation that automatically validates claims after a two-month period.
He expressed this concern as the agency endeavors to address a significant backlog in compensating injured road users.
According to TimesLive, Letsoalo initiated the RAF’s Drive Your Claim Forward campaign, aiming to motivate claimants to submit any outstanding documents necessary to complete their applications.
This effort seeks to alleviate the backlog of 321,000 claims awaiting resolution.
Letsoalo criticised the RAF Act, attributing parts of it to the significant backlog.
Specifically, he highlighted section 24(5), which states that if the RAF does not validate a claim within 60 days of its posting or receipt, “the claim shall be deemed valid in law in all respects.”