Inside the Scopa inquiry draft report: Staff purges and governance challenges at the RAF

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has faced significant governance and human resources challenges according to a draft report by Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa). Over a five-year period, 188 employees were suspended, with 35 still on suspension as of June 2025. The report reveals that key senior positions were left vacant for extended periods, often filled by specialists recruited into the CEO's office without proper compliance with the RAF's policies.

Notably, the organization experienced a surge in suspensions between April 2020 and June 2025, with disciplinary actions extending beyond the standard six-month limit. Despite CEO Collins Letsoalo claiming to have security clearance, he failed to submit the required documents for vetting by the State Security Agency (SSA). The report highlights that Letsoalo's preferences influenced the recruitment of specialists, leading to a parallel management structure within critical operations.

These specialists played pivotal roles in major policy decisions, including an accounting policy change that underestimated the Claims Liability by over R300 billion. The RAF's organizational structure also showed vacancies in key roles such as Chief Claims Officer and Head of Legal Services. While 136 employees were terminated following suspensions, many cases were contested in labor courts, with some employees continuing to litigate for reinstatement and pay.

The report emphasizes the RAF's escalating legal expenditures, rising from R2.23 million in 2020 to R22.21 million in 2022, largely due to labor-related disputes.