The Pretoria high court has dismissed Road Accident Fund (RAF) CEO Collins Letsoalo’s bid to have his suspension set aside.
Letsoalo took the fund and RAF board to court to challenge his suspension by the board on June 3. He was suspended for failure to attend a parliamentary committee meeting on May 28.
He wanted the court to set aside the board’s decision to suspend him and allow him to resume his duties. He also wanted the court to halt adverts for the CEO post. His term comes to an end on August 6.
Judge Graham Moshoana dismissed the application with costs on Thursday.
The board has experienced an alarming breakdown in governance standards marked by procedural irregularities, unlawful actions and misrepresentation made to oversight bodies such as the standing committee on public accounts,” Nyama’s letter read.
— Letter sent by RAF board member Lekau Nyama to transport minister Barbara Creecy.
“The application is dismissed. The applicant is to pay the costs of the application. The costs include the costs of employing two counsel and the costs occasioned on June 17 2025,” the judgment read.
Governance troubles at the RAF have been in the spotlight as Letsoalo and RAF board chair Zanele Francois have been at loggerheads.
Letsoalo’s lawyer, advocate Hlalele Molotsi, argued in court that Francois misled parliament about the reason for Letsoalo’s being placed on special leave on May 27, a day before he was supposed to appear before the standing committee on public accounts.
The transport department said he was placed on special leave pending investigations by the Special Investigating Unit.
That was not true, Molotsi contended. He presented a letter from RAF board member Lekau Nyama that was sent to transport minister Barbara Creecy.
In the letter, Nyama said the board decided to place Letsoalo on compassionate leave to attend to personal matters. Nyama accused the board chair of misleading parliament about the matter.
“The board has experienced an alarming breakdown in governance standards marked by procedural irregularities, unlawful actions and misrepresentation made to oversight bodies such as the standing committee on public accounts,” Nyama’s letter read.
Francois accused Letsoalo of omitting information from the fund’s presentation that was due to be presented to the committee in parliament on May 28.
This week Scopa announced it would conduct an inquiry into the state of finances at the fund.
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