Written By Lilita Gcwabe | Published on 30 July 2026 | IOL
Parliament’s inquiry into the troubled Road Accident Fund (RAF) has exposed years of governance failures, chronic underfunding and operational dysfunction that have left thousands of road accident victims waiting years for compensation, with a victims’ advocacy group now calling for urgent reforms before the findings are tabled in the National Assembly.
The Association for the Protection of Road Accident Victims (APRAV) said on Thursday that the Standing Committee on Public Accounts’ (SCOPA) inquiry had brought together evidence that paints the clearest picture yet of an institution struggling to fulfill its constitutional mandate while billions of rand continue flowing into the fund through the fuel levy.
Speaking at a National Press Club briefing, APRAV chairperson Ngoako Mohlaloga said the organisation wanted South Africans to understand what had emerged during a recent stakeholder engagement hosted by SCOPA chairperson Songezo Zibi, where Parliament shared preliminary findings from its months-long inquiry into the RAF’s governance, financial management and administration.
The inquiry, launched last year, is expected to culminate in a report to the National Assembly containing recommendations aimed at overhauling the fund’s governance, improving claim processing, reducing wasteful expenditure and reviewing its long-term funding model.
“The full picture that Zibi gave in the room has not yet reached the wider public, and that picture is very important,” Mohlaloga said.
“It matters today. APRAV wants to open the room to the rest of South Africa so they can understand exactly where the Road Accident Fund stands and what happens next.”
He explained that the engagement brought together attorneys, advocates, medical experts, actuaries and other professionals involved in the RAF claims process to provide Parliament with firsthand accounts before SCOPA finalises its recommendations.
Mohlaloga said the inquiry demonstrated that corruption was only one part of the RAF’s problems.
“Public money is not lost only through corruption. It is also lost when an institution is badly managed or governed, when poor personnel decisions are allowed to stand, when claims are not processed on time, when avoidable matters are taken to court,” he said.
“We believe much more public money may be lost through incompetence and inefficient expenditure than through corruption itself.”
He said the crisis extended far beyond financial statements.
Among the issues highlighted during the inquiry was the now-defunct RAF 1 claim form, which the Supreme Court of Appeal declared unlawful after finding it created barriers to accessing compensation.
Mohlaloga said the form required expensive medical reports before claims could be considered, effectively shutting out hundreds of thousands of potential claimants.
“The Constitution requires government to expand access to its services, not to move those services further away from the people who need them the most.”
He also pointed to evidence presented during the parliamentary inquiry that RAF legal teams repeatedly failed to appear in court, resulting in postponed cases, escalating legal costs and longer delays for victims.
“The victim is waiting and waiting and waiting, and the legal bill grows. The RAF and ultimately the taxpayer lose money through that kind of mismanagement.”
According to Mohlaloga, instability within the institution has compounded the crisis, with numerous senior management posts remaining vacant or filled by acting officials.
“It is our view that we cannot demand high performance from an institution that has lost people, stability and internal capacity.”
“The RAF needs capable, properly appointed and accountable leaders. It needs experienced managers and trained professionals who can make lawful decisions and move work through the system.”
He urged Transport Minister Barbara Creecy to expedite the appointment of a permanent chief executive officer.
Mohlaloga said SCOPA was expected to complete its report in the coming weeks before affected parties were invited to make representations. The report would then be tabled in the National Assembly for debate and adoption.
APRAV vice-chairperson Peter de Bruyn said the inquiry had exposed the extent of the RAF’s failures and that government could no longer delay implementing reforms.
“The evidence is now on the record. Nothing is hidden. The human and financial cost has been laid bare,” he said.
“The time for talk, minister and deputy minister, has come and gone. It’s time to act.”
De Bruyn said APRAV had been presenting solutions to government since 2014, but meaningful action had only gained momentum after Parliament launched its inquiry.
“The solutions are not complicated. Repair the harm done. Relieve the current crisis for the sake of the public and the suffering claimants. Rebuild the RAF for the future and restore it to the centre of excellence it once was.”
He said South Africa’s road safety record underscored the urgency of fixing the compensation system.
“It is mind-boggling. Fifty-five people die on South African roads every single day, with hundreds, if not thousands, more injured,” he said.
“It is safer to drive in Iraq than it is in South Africa. The country and the people cannot wait anymore.”
While attributing the comparison to his own assessment, De Bruyn said South Africans were no longer asking government to intervene.
“The people are not asking anymore. They expect delivery.”
He praised SCOPA for conducting what he described as one of Parliament’s most comprehensive oversight processes.
“SCOPA has shown South Africa the truth. Members of Parliament worked day after day, night after night. They worked like executives in the private sector dealing with a company in crisis.”
However, he said exposing the problems would count for little without implementation.
“SCOPA investigates and looks back. The Portfolio Committee on Transport now needs to look forward and take up what needs to change now.”