By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider
A press briefing was held by the Association for the Protection of Road Accident Victims (APRAV) at the Court Classique Hotel in Pretoria, 10 November 2025. The briefing entailed the call from APRAV for a ministerial intervention as evidence has occurred of a five-point plan that derailed the Road Accident Fund (RAF).
The APRAV is calling on the Minister of Transport to take corrective measures to resolve a deliberate five-point plan that was implemented inside the RAF to misrepresent its financial health and obstruct legitimate claims from victims involved in road accidents.
“The strategy created an optical illusion of solvency while hollowing out the fund from within…The result is a system that has left victims and taxpayers at a loss, while money was channelled through tenders and contracts that did nothing to improve the fund’s ability to deliver justice.” said the Deputy Chair of APRAV Ngoako Mohlaloga.
The RAF actuarial manager Itayi Charakupa had affidavit evidence that point to five coordinated measures that led the derailment of RAF according to findings by APRAV.
These five measures include; terminating its network of external legal panels which has crippled the RAF’s ability to defend and settle claims which has left thousands of cases unresolved, skilled legal and administrative staff were also replaced by short terms workers as institutional knowledge fell to the way side and claim processing time collapsed; Charakupa’s affidavit which consisted of 80 paragraphs reveals that the RAF used an unauthorised accounting standard design which erased billions of unpaid obligations from its balance sheet.
Under the IFRS 4 framework, liabilities had amounted to roughly R356 billion; after the ISPSAS 42 switch, it had appeared as R29 billion. APRAV have expressed that this five point plan has prevented victims from receiving settlements from months to years, which has also caused the legal and medical professionals who hold up the Fund’s system to have remained without pay, and families who are reliant on those settlements are subjected to more poverty.
APRAV has also highlighted that parliament and the general public were assured that the Fund was stable but the altering of financial statements contradict Fund’s claim of stability.
“The switch to IPSAS 42 and the administrative chokehold that followed were not administrative errors…They formed part of a deliberate pattern to conceal insolvency and manage optics rather than outcomes. It is a betrayal of both public trust and statutory duty,” said Mohlaloga.
The RAF recently made a decision to suspend individuals who were aligned with the architects of the five-point plan; however , the efforts in this regard are minimal according to APRAV as they demand more accountability.
“Accountability must come from the top…The minister must urgently withdraw IPSAS 42, repeal Board Notice 271 of 2022, and restore the previous lawful RAF 1 claim process only then can we begin rebuilding capacity, reinstating skilled professionals and restoring confidence in the Fund,” explained Mohlaloga.
“This the first time we have seen such depth, professionalism, and bipartisan commitment to uncovering the truth,” said Chair of APRAV, Pieter du Bruyn, when referring to the association’s 11 years of active participation in parliamentary processes.
The APRAV has expressed its full commitment to cooperating with Parliament and oversight bodies, viewing this as a rare opportunity to rebuild trust and accountability. Du Bruyn also commended the Government of National Unity (GNU) for its efforts to fully expose irregularities and address them accordingly.