SCOPA inquiry into RAF to resume with focus on non-payment of service providers, liabilities

Parliament’s inquiry into the Road Accident Fund (RAF) will resume on Tuesday, with a focus on the non-payment of service providers and the fund’s liabilities.

This is the third week of the inquiry being conducted by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, which is probing financial mismanagement and governance issues at the fund.

On Tuesday, the inquiry is due to hear evidence from a former hospital, which at one time was owed more than R300 million by the fund, forcing its closure.

Last week, the committee heard from former employees who claimed unfair dismissals under former CEO, Collins Letsoalo, over security matters at the fund.

They testified that Letsoalo had not been vetted by state security and the fund paid for his private security despite no threat being identifiedagainst him.

On Tuesday, the former owner and CEO of the Sunshine Hospital in Benoni, Ken Ford, is expected to provide evidence about the relationship with the fund before the facility was sold off in an auction in June due to outstanding payments from the RAF.

Later this week, the committee will also hear testimony from the RAF's former acting chief financial officer, Victor Songelwa, and former chief actuary, Itayi Charakupa, about the RAF’s liabilities and accounting practices.

On Friday, a representative for medical experts, Mariette Minnie-Botbijl, will provide evidence about procurement processes and the non-payment of service providers.

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