Road Accident Fund South Africa: Key News, Updates & Reforms – November 2026

South Africa’s Road Accident Fund (RAF) remains one of the country’s most scrutinised public entities as it battles a deepening financial crisis, a massive claims backlog, governance failures, and calls for sweeping structural reform. As of November 2026, a wave of significant developments — from a new CEO appointment to parliamentary accountability measures and landmark court rulings — is reshaping the future of the fund. Here is a comprehensive roundup of the latest RAF news and what it means for accident victims, motorists, and taxpayers.

1. New CEO Waseem Carrim Takes the Helm

One of the most significant recent developments is the appointment of Waseem Carrim as the new CEO of the Road Accident Fund, effective 1 November 2026. Carrim, a chartered accountant and former CEO of both the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), becomes the fifth RAF CEO in just over a year — a stark indicator of the leadership instability that has plagued the institution.

In an interview with Moneyweb, Carrim acknowledged the scale of the challenge but expressed cautious optimism:

“I think there are three things that make me believe the situation can be turned around: a strong and supportive transport minister, an interim board led by very capable individuals, and a five-year mandate to turn things around.”

Carrim’s immediate priorities include:

• Reforming the RAF’s financial model to reduce unsustainable liabilities
• Rebuilding claims administration to clear the massive backlog
• Tackling fraud and corruption head-on with zero tolerance
• Restoring trust with claimants, attorneys, medical professionals, and the public
• Exploring annuity-based payments instead of once-off lump-sum payouts to ease cash flow pressure

Carrim also supports the adoption of the Road Accident Benefit Scheme (RABS) Bill, which would introduce a no-fault compensation system and replace lump-sum payouts with structured, regular benefit payments — a move widely seen as essential to the RAF’s long-term sustainability.

2. The RAF’s Financial Crisis: By the Numbers

The scale of the RAF’s financial distress cannot be overstated. Key figures paint a sobering picture:

• The RAF is technically insolvent, with total liabilities exceeding R400 billion
• It receives more than R50 billion per year from taxpayers, primarily through a fuel levy of R2.25 per litre
• As of 30 June 2026, the fund owed claimants R22.18 billion on claims already settled but not yet paid — up from R18.56 billion at the start of the quarter
• Nearly 38,000 approved claims remained unpaid by end of June 2026
• The RAF had 301,203 open claims as of 30 June 2026

Despite paying out R8.9 billion across 80,665 claims in the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year — a 54% increase on the same period the previous year — the payment queue continued to grow. For every rand paid out, new claims entered the pipeline faster than they could be resolved.

Where the R8.9 Billion Went (Q1 2026/27)

• Loss of earnings: R4.831 billion
• Plaintiff legal costs: R2.018 billion
• General damages: R1.358 billion
• Loss of support: R291 million
• Past medical expenses: R276 million
• Future medical expenses: R160 million
• RAF legal costs: R51 million
• Funeral costs: R4 million

3. SCOPA Inquiry: Accountability and Criminal Charges

Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), led by Chairperson Songezo Zibi, has been at the forefront of holding the RAF accountable throughout 2026. Key milestones include:

• June 2026: SCOPA voted to lay formal criminal charges against the former RAF CEO following non-appearance and legal pushback against oversight mandates
• July 2026: SCOPA recommended that former executives and board members be held personally liable to repay unaccounted funds spent during their tenure
• The inquiry revealed that the RAF spent R12.8 million on legal costs for just seven disciplinary hearings, and close to R30 million on salaries for at least 16 suspended executives — some sitting at home on full pay for nearly two years

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been vocal in its criticism, with Dr Chris Hunsinger MP stating: “More money will not fix the RAF. Its problem is not that motorists pay too little. It is how the money is managed.”

4. No Additional Government Funding — Minister Creecy Holds the Line

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has ruled out additional government funding for the RAF, stating that motorists are already under severe financial pressure and that the priority must be addressing the fund’s management and financial challenges — not simply injecting more money.

This comes as the RAF had reportedly asked National Treasury to raise the fuel levy by 75 cents per litre — from R2.25 to R3.00 per litre — at a time when fuel prices in South Africa have hit a record R30 per litre. The DA and various civil society organisations have strongly opposed any fuel levy increase, arguing that reform, not re-financing, is the answer.

The government is also reportedly considering cutting or scrapping the RAF fuel levy altogether as part of broader funding model discussions, though new CEO Carrim has cautioned against scrapping it in the short term without a viable alternative in place.

5. Landmark Court Rulings Protect Claimants

The courts have played a pivotal role in protecting accident victims’ rights in 2026:

• April/May 2026 – SCA Ruling on Board Notices: The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) upheld rulings declaring that the RAF and the Minister of Transport overstepped their legal authority by imposing overly restrictive documentation requirements under Board Notices 271 and 302 of 2022. Claimants whose submissions were previously rejected were allowed to re-lodge claims by 30 September 2026.
• September 2026 – ConCourt on Foreign Nationals: The Constitutional Court ruled against the RAF’s attempts to exclude undocumented foreign nationals from claiming compensation, slamming the door on the fund’s restrictive approach to foreign claimants.
• October 2026 – Discovery Health SCA Win: The Supreme Court of Appeal issued a ruling in favour of Discovery Health in an appeal against RAF medical expense deductions, with significant implications for how medical costs are handled in RAF claims.

6. Legislative Reforms on the Horizon

The Department of Transport confirmed in October 2026 that it is finalising amendments to the RAF Act, covering four key areas:

1. Capped claims — reviewing limits on compensation payouts
2. Rehabilitation — improving support for injured claimants
3. Mediation and conciliation — reducing costly litigation
4. Claims by foreign nationals — aligning with court rulings

These amendments are expected to be tabled before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport in the near future and represent the most significant overhaul of the RAF Act since its inception.

7. The Settlement Hub Proposal

A key proposal gaining traction is the creation of a national Settlement Hub — a dedicated, fast-track mechanism to process trial-ready claims and dramatically reduce the time accident victims wait for payment. The DA’s Patrick Atkinson MP has also pushed for a dedicated hub to tackle the RAF claims backlog, arguing that the current system is fundamentally broken and requires a structural solution rather than incremental fixes.

8. Community Outreach: Boots on the Ground

In a positive development, the RAF has been rolling out a “boots on the ground” community outreach programme, placing RAF employees directly in communities to help claimants resolve claims-related problems. Services offered at these outreach events include:

• Registering new claims
• Submitting outstanding documents
• Checking claim status
• Reporting alleged unscrupulous attorneys and touts

Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa has also called on the RAF to follow up with claimants after paying their attorneys to confirm they have actually received their payouts — addressing a critical gap in the system where some claimants remain unaware that the RAF has already made an offer on their claim.

What This Means for RAF Claimants

If you have a pending RAF claim or are considering lodging one, here are the key takeaways from the latest developments:

• Delays remain a reality — with over R22 billion in unpaid approved claims, patience is required, but the fund is paying out at a faster rate than before
• Previously rejected claims may be re-lodgeable — if your claim was rejected under the restrictive Board Notice directives, consult an attorney about re-lodging
• Foreign nationals are protected — the ConCourt ruling confirms that undocumented foreign nationals cannot be excluded from claiming
• New leadership brings hope — Carrim’s appointment and the SCOPA accountability drive signal a genuine effort to reform the fund
• Legislative changes are coming — the RAF Act amendments could significantly affect how claims are processed and compensated

Conclusion: A Fund at a Crossroads

The Road Accident Fund stands at a critical crossroads in November 2026. Years of governance failures, financial mismanagement, and systemic dysfunction have brought it to the brink — but the combination of new leadership, parliamentary accountability, landmark court rulings, and imminent legislative reform offers a genuine path forward.

For the millions of South Africans who depend on the RAF as a safety net after road accidents, the coming months will be decisive. The question is no longer whether the RAF needs to change — it is whether the political will, institutional capacity, and financial resources can be marshalled quickly enough to deliver meaningful relief to those who need it most.

Stay updated on the latest Road Accident Fund news by bookmarking this page. If you need assistance with an RAF claim, consult a qualified attorney who specialises in RAF matters.