Minister mulls culling chaotic RAF board

TRANSPORT Minister Blade Nzimande is still applying his mind to the future of the remaining board of directors of the troubled Road Accident Fund (RAF), his spokesman, Ishmael Mnisi, said yesterday.

Nzimande was scheduled to meet the board on Friday after earlier in the week giving them the option to resign or face dissolution.

“Minister Nzimande met five of the six remaining RAF board members.

“The minister gave an opportunity to the members to make verbal representations in addition to the written representa- tions already made by the board members,” Mnisi said.

“Following these presentations, the minister is yet to write to the individual members regarding this decision after considering these representations.”

Infighting

The RAF board has four vacancies, but infighting has left Nzimande considering dissolving it.

Briefing the transport portfolio committee last week, Nzimande described the board as “dysfunctional”.

He said members nearly came to blows in his presence.

The committee had urged him to address the situation.

“When we were dealing with the annual performance plan, a lot of things were not gelling,” committee chairperson Dikeledi Magadzi said.

Yesterday, the DA’s Manny de Freitas said Nzimande should dismiss the board and call for new nominations. “He must get new people to the board who are impartial.”

He said the RAF board could not continue functioning in the current manner and fulfill its fiduciary obligations.

“I believe there is corruption and maladministration, which is filtering down. Certain people are against that and others are protecting it.”