Road Accident Fund fails to respond to whistleblower allegations
GroundUp experiences first hand the RAF’s dysfunction
By Chiara Carter
26 July 2023
GroundUp has experienced first hand the Road Accident Fund’s (RAF) notorious lack of responsiveness. A source provided us with a report detailing several cases of serious maladministration, nepotism and intimidation of whistleblowers and other staff at the fund. The report, compiled by a whistleblower at the RAF, requested the fund’s leadership to forward it to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
Our source also made allegations against two senior figures at the RAF, which if proven, raise questions about them continuing to hold office.
GroundUp has now waited for well over a month for the RAF to answer our questions about the allegations.
On 21 June we sent senior manager media and public relations Linda Rulashe a redacted version of the whistleblower’s report, a list of questions arising from the report, and two further queries about other allegations.
Rulashe responded promptly, saying she had directed the questions to the RAF managers concerned.
Since then, every week Rulashe says she is still not in a position to answer our questions.
These are our questions:
1. Was the attached information given to RAF officials, Ms Msibi, Mr Songelwa, Ms Cornelius and Ms Rammabi and if so when? Did they investigate it/hand it to the SIU?
2. Are the allegations in no 2 (of the whistleblower report) accurate and if so what has happened in connection with this contract?
3. What has occurred regarding no 3 (an allegation which we may not yet publicly disclose). And why did this oversight regarding the property costs occur?
4. Does the situation outlined in no 4 & 5 (further allegations) persist and if so does this not amount to centralising powers for expenditure in the hands of [NAME REDACTED 1] and [NAME REDACTED 2]? Is there oversight of their decisions in this regard?
5. Are the allegations of unapproved and extravagant expenditure outlined in no 6 accurate? If so, is there an explanation for this and is it being investigated?
6. Please comment on the detailed claims re. the contract of the named lawyer as outlined in no 10 (a further allegation), including the claim that there is a family link with a senior RAF manager.
7. Please outline the role played by the lawyer in RAF matters.
8. Please respond to the claim that staff have been told to lie under oath in the case of a whistleblower.
9. No 14 makes serious allegations that investigators were instructed to change their report and were instructed about desired outcomes prior to conducting investigations. It is claimed that the RAF’s intelligence division has been engaged in such unethical practices. What has occurred in regard to these allegations?
10. No 15 claims that the RAF used a protected disclosure investigation by a whistleblower and provided this information to a suspect who subsequently turned witness against the whistleblower. Please comment.
11. How many senior staff are currently suspended on full pay and for how long?
We await a response for the RAF.
