Road Accident Fund to increase claim limit

Road Accident Fund (RAF) has adjusted the maximum claim limit for loss of income and support to counter the effects of inflation – effective from 31 July.

RAF published the changes in a government gazette on Friday.

“The RAF hereby, in accordance with section 17(4A)(a) of the Road Accident Fund Act, adjusts and makes known the amounts…hereby adjusted to R347 730,” said RAF in the gazette.

RAF Crisis

Earlier this week, ten legal organisations issued a joint memorandum addressing what they termed a “crisis” within the RAF.  

ALSO READ: RAF ‘crisis’: Lawyers claim accident victims ‘literally prevented from lodging claims’

According to GroundUp, the memorandum addressed, among a plethora of issues, previous remarks by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Lisa Mangcu and RAF, in which blamed lawyers for issues such as backlogs and payout delays.

According to the memorandum, the signatories said blaming lawyers for RAF problems was intended to distract attention from the “ineptitude” and “negligence” at the RAF.

The signatories, which include Law Society of South Africa (LSSA), Black Lawyers Association (BLA) and National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL) – have also called for the removal of RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo, saying he doesn’t have adequate legal background for the job, Ground Up reported.

ALSO READ: ‘There’s boxes everywhere’: Scopa unhappy after MPs visit ‘horror story’ at RAF offices

Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Nadel’s Adv. Lizelle Haskins said the RAF is the country’s biggest litigator, requiring a “suitably” qualified leader with appropriate experience to understand how the organisation should operate within SA’s legal system.

“When we look at what has happened since the appointment [of the current CEO], starting from June 2020 – what you see is a dysfunctional RAF,” Haskins told Newsroom Afrika.

“…Not only in terms of the administration…[but also] how they represent matters matters in court,” she added.

GroundUp also reported that in terms of the memorandum, the lawyers said RAF’s decision to do away with panels of attorneys who previously investigated claims, and managed litigation and settlements – has proven disastrous.