RAF situation ‘a car wreck’, says Scopa chair
The chairperson of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts Mkhuleko Hlengwa has likened the financial situation at the Road Accident Fund (RAF) to that of a car wreck.
The committee embarked on an oversight visit to the RAF offices in Pretoria on Friday.
The entity’s board and CEO were, however, a no-show.
MPs were instead joined by the Deputy Minister of Transport Lisa Mangcu, during the visit.
"I was joking with colleagues earlier on, and we wanted to say if you had to draft a statement about this oversight about this place it would be a one-liner," said Hlengwa.
"And honourable (DA MP Benedicta) van Minnen said that ‘RAF is a car wreck full stop’, and I think it characterises what we saw."
Hlengwa also described the entity's work environment as toxic.
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"The culture of intimidation, and to us it comes as no surprise because our interaction with the executive and the board of RAF has not been positive.
"The stand-off with the board, the executive and the auditor-general is the clearest indication to date as to why the stand-off would arise because what we have seen today is a horror story."
Hlengwa was referring to a legal dispute between the RAF and the auditor general over her 2021 annual report which put the fund’s deficit at R13.5 billion.
The RAF failed in its efforts to block the report and subsequently dropped its legal action.
Meanwhile, Mangcu assured Scopa that the department would meet Scopa's 30-day deadline to respond to the watchdog committee’s concerns.
"We will make sure there is an apology that is extended to yourselves by the executive authority of this institution. So from my side, on behalf of the minister and myself, are determined to turn these issues around."
