Troubled Road Accident Fund needs a major overhaul

A sad indictment of our systems of governance is that the Road Accident Fund (RAF) hires its chairs and tables – so they cannot be attached by the sheriff and sold at auction.

So frequently are the organisation’s assets seized in execution of court orders to pay road accident victims – which is the RAF’s reason for existing – that the ownership sleight of hand has become necessary.

This is yet another indication that the fund is in a mess.

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However, to be fair, it is also fighting a running battle with the legal fraternity following its claims that dodgy lawyers, working with dodgy medical people, inflate compensation claims.

That assertion has been roundly rejected by legal representative bodies that, in turn, accuse the RAF of not doing its work properly.

There is evidence for that, too, in the long backlog of cases which have still not been dealt with.

The RAF also claims it should not have to reimburse claimants for medical expenses which have already been covered by medical aids – something the medical aids believe is not correct.

What is clear is that the RAF cannot be allowed to continue as it is. It performs a vital function and needs a thorough overhaul.

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