The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) condemns, in the strongest terms, the Road Accident Fund (RAF) Board placing their Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Collins Letsoalo, on special leave. According to the Board, this is a “precautionary” measure pending the investigation of allegations of corruption, and yet the circumstances show that this is merely a witch hunt designed to tarnish Letsoalo’s reputation for his stellar work in uncovering the rot within the RAF.
According to the RAF Board, in their submission to Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), Letsoalo has been placed on “special leave”, a leave he has not applied for nor consented to. This action taken without procedural fairness, reveals the orchestrated attempt to create a public perception of wrongdoing where none has been proven. Even more disturbing is the revelation that the preliminary report on these allegations of corruption presented by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) contains mere allegations that are untested and unproven.
The Department of Transport itself has admitted that the SIU has not briefed them on the contents of this report, nor has the RAF been afforded the courtesy or the right to respond to the claims contained within it. This clear disregard for due process reinforces that Letsoalo is being subjected to trial by innuendo, not by evidence.
Letsoalo is not only being targeted for his transformation work at the RAF, but also for his bold stance against corruption within the judiciary. During his tenure, he has publicly raised uncomfortable truths about the rot and collusion within parts of the judicial system and the RAF where certain judges and legal practitioners collude in false RAF claims, steal money from claimants, and have set up complex fraudulent medico-legal networks and systems to drain the fund. Furthermore, Letsoalo has done commendable work in restoring financial order and operational efficiency at the RAF.
It is the EFF’s contention that instead of being supported for exposing these critical issues and attempting to create a clean bill of governance in the RAF, Letsoalo is now being silenced and sidelined. His forced “special leave” is a direct attempt to punish him for speaking out against judicial corruption, and to send a chilling message to any executive who dares to challenge these corrupt networks of power. The EFF will not allow this suppression of truth to go unchallenged.
It is also no coincidence that these spurious allegations are being circulated mere months before the conclusion of Mr. Letsoalo’s term in August. This is a desperate attempt to cast a cloud of suspicion over him, to discredit his legacy, and to prevent his reappointment.
As a result, the EFF will formally write to the Minister of Transport to demand a full and transparent explanation of the circumstances surrounding Letsoalo’s so-called “special leave,” including who authorized it, under what grounds, and why due process was blatantly ignored.
We will also call for the matter to be urgently tabled before the Portfolio Committee on Transport, where the Minister and the RAF Board must account for this unlawful and vindictive action; and to respond to the revelations of corruption that Letsoalo has uncovered that is occurring under their watch. The EFF demands that all allegations be subjected to fair and transparent processes, and that the rights of the accused be respected.
The EFF has a complex relationship with the South African Communist Party (SACP).
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