RAF CEO investigated over R79 million lease deal
Collins Letsoalo, CEO of the Road Accident Fund (RAF), is under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) over alleged irregularities in a R79 million lease agreement for the RAF’s Johannesburg regional offices. The preliminary findings, reported on April 13, 2025, suggest Letsoalo may have bypassed proper procurement procedures in securing the lease.
The probe adds to a growing list of controversies surrounding Letsoalo. In 2023, the Mpumalanga High Court held him and the RAF board personally liable for legal costs after they abruptly terminated the RAF’s panel of attorneys without a contingency plan—an action that disrupted the fund’s ability to process claims effectively.
Letsoalo has also faced criticism over alleged misrepresentations in his CV and for placing blame for the RAF’s financial woes on legal professionals. He has denied these claims, maintaining that the fund has made progress in reducing its claims backlog.
The SIU’s broader investigation has uncovered further financial mismanagement at the RAF. Notably, 102 law firms fraudulently received duplicate payments totaling over R340 million. As of March 2025, the SIU has recovered approximately R318 million of that amount.
While the full SIU report has yet to be made public, the lease deal is the latest in a series of governance concerns at the RAF. Whether Letsoalo will face legal consequences remains to be seen, but the findings raise fresh questions about oversight and accountability at one of South Africa’s most critical public institutions.
