Ruling ‘a victory for crash victims’

MBALULA: ROAD ACCIDENT FUND NOW ON RIGHT PATH ‘We will ensure that the fund is able to provide the much-needed relief to those who need it.’

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula hailed the ruling of the High Court in Pretoria on Friday to suspend warrants of execution and attachments against the Road Accident Fund (RAF).

Up to 17 respondents, mostly law firms and sheriffs, were fighting for accident victims who had issued successful claims against the fund to be paid within a reasonable time.

In a statement, Mbalula said the judgment was a step in the right direction in government’s efforts to ensure that those who fell victim to road accidents continued to benefit from the RAF.

In handing down its judgment, the court ruled, among others:

All writs of execution and attachments against the RAF based on court orders already granted, or settlements already reached, in terms of the Road Accident Fund Act, 56 of 1996, are suspended until 30 April.

Those that are not older than 180 days as from the date of the court order, or date of the settlement reached, are suspended from 1 May until 12 September.

“This is an important step in placing the RAF on a sustainable path and ensure that it is able to provide the much-needed relief to those who need such relief due to road accidents,” said Mbalula.

“It also gives impetus to our interventions, which started with the appointment of a new board in 2019, followed by the appointment of a CEO last year, who will drive the implementation of a new operating model for the RAF.”

He said the dire financial situation of the body required creative ways to ensure taxpayers received the value on the investment made through a fuel levy, without the government abdicating the responsibility to provide a social security net to accident victims.

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