The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) is gearing up for a nationwide
shutdown of all Road Accident Fund (RAF) offices on Thursday. The union’s protest set to
take place outside the National Department of Transport’s offices in Pretoria, is driven by
demands for the removal of the RAF’s CEO, Collins Letsoalo.

Numsa’s spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, has levelled serious allegations against
Letsoalo, accusing him of single-handedly destroying the fund. She expressed frustration
over the apparent lack of accountability for his actions, stating, “The RAF is being grossly
mismanaged by Letsoalo, who behaves like a law unto himself. Even now, the failure of the
RAF to pay out claimants on time means that the assets of the institution are routinely
attached by court sheriffs so that they can be sold in order to pay the monies owed.”

Hlubi-Majola further elaborated on the dire situation, painting a grim picture of the working
conditions at RAF offices. “As a result, desks, chairs and office equipment are attached.
Workers sit on boxes or the floor when doing their work because there are no desks or
chairs. As recently as two weeks ago, a sheriff of the court attached items at the RAF offices
in East London,” she revealed.

The union’s planned protest and shutdown of RAF offices underscore the escalating
tensions and dissatisfaction with the current leadership and management of the fund.
Numsa’s actions aim to exert pressure on the authorities to address their concerns and hold
the CEO accountable for the alleged mismanagement and its detrimental impact on the
organization’s operations and employees.