Former Road Accident Fund (RAF) CEO Collins Letsoalo has effectively disappeared, failing to appear before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) despite being summonsed to answer for alleged financial misconduct that has cost South African taxpayers billions of rand.
Political parties are now calling for immediate criminal charges against Letsoalo under section 17 of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament Act, after he became a no-show at Tuesday’s scheduled parliamentary hearing.
The great disappearing act
What began as a routine parliamentary oversight inquiry has transformed into a manhunt of sorts. Court sheriffs dispatched to serve Letsoalo with summonses discovered that the addresses on file led to abandoned, overgrown properties where no one had lived “for a while.”
SCOPA was forced to take the unprecedented step of serving the summons via email, social media posts, and notices affixed to his known residences after Letsoalo allegedly provided incorrect addresses in what appears to be a deliberate attempt to avoid accountability.
“SCOPA went to great lengths to ensure Letsoalo was properly summoned,” said Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on SCOPA, Patrick Atkinson. “After he provided incorrect addresses in an apparent attempt to avoid service, the Committee secured permission from the Secretary of Parliament to serve the summons by email, online, and via notice affixed to his residence.”
Billions in liabilities under his watch
The stakes could not be higher. Since Letsoalo’s appointment as CEO in September 2019, evidence presented to SCOPA reveals that his tenure created billions in contingent liabilities while delaying compensation for thousands of road accident victims who depend on the fund for support.
The RAF, which collects approximately R48 billion annually through fuel levies, has since become a “financial black hole” under his leadership”. The fund now faces undisclosed liabilities of R500 billion, with claims processing delays averaging four years – leaving accident victims in limbo while their cases drag through an increasingly dysfunctional system.
A toxic legacy
Beyond the financial devastation, former employees paint a picture of a leader who ruled through fear and intimidation. A former human capital executive testified before Parliament that Letsoalo’s leadership created “a culture of fear among managers,” where employees who didn’t align with his transformation agenda faced suspension under dubious circumstances.
“Many staff have had their careers and livelihoods destroyed,” said Atkinson in a statement. “Reports also suggest he treated the RAF as a personal fiefdom, using state-paid bodyguards to run personal errands.”
Some disciplinary cases initiated during his tenure remained unresolved four years later, with the RAF spending as much as R100 million on disciplinary proceedings over five years – money that should have gone to accident victims.
Defying parliament’s authority
Letsoalo’s response to the parliamentary summons has been characteristically defiant. Through his lawyers, he has challenged Parliament’s authority to conduct the probe, while personally sending a message to Parliament’s legal advisor stating: “Kindly refrain from harassing me. My lawyers have sent a letter to Parliament. Also, stop this nonsense that I have gone into hiding.”
However, Parliament’s legal office has firmly rejected his lawyers’ arguments, confirming that the summons is entirely lawful and that Letsoalo is fully aware of his obligations.
“SCOPA’s legal adviser confirms that Letsoalo is fully aware of the summons, a fact reinforced by his own lawyers who challenged its legality,” Atkinson said.
SCOPA Chairperson Songezo Zibi has warned that if Letsoalo continues to defy Parliament, criminal charges will be laid immediately. Refusing to appear before Parliament when properly summoned is a criminal offense that could result in imprisonment.
