News

Dismissed RAF Staff Plead for Action After CEO’s Exit

Published

2 hours ago

November 24, 2025

Chiraag

RAF building South Africa, RAF reinstatement appeals, dismissed RAF workers, Collins Letsoalo exit, labour rights South Africa, Joburg ETC

A long wait for justice

For many former Road Accident Fund staff, the departure of CEO Collins Letsoalo has reopened old wounds rather than offering fresh relief. Their lives were turned upside down during his five-year tenure, when more than one hundred employees across Durban, Cape Town, and Gauteng were either dismissed or suspended under circumstances they believe were deeply unfair.

Now that Letsoalo has been removed from his position, many expected the door to finally open for a return to work. Instead, they say they remain locked out while colleagues in other parts of the country have already been welcomed back.

A board instruction that has not reached everyone

Once Letsoalo was suspended, the newly appointed RAF board issued a clear directive. All dismissals and suspensions that appeared unfair needed to be reviewed, and any wrongful disciplinary actions corrected or reversed.

An internal memo dated 3 November confirmed this approach. It emphasised that not every dismissal was necessarily improper but insisted that fairness and labour law compliance must guide the reviews. According to staff, this process has moved forward in other provinces. Many former employees in Durban and Cape Town have already returned to their posts.

In Gauteng, however, the story looks very different.

Gauteng workers say they have been left behind

Several employees told The Citizen that Gauteng management has still not acted on the board’s instructions. Their claim is that internal divisions in the provincial office are holding the process back. Some managers who rose through the ranks under the former CEO reportedly have little incentive to revisit decisions made during his leadership.

One dismissed employee described the personal toll with heartbreaking honesty. After more than a year without income, they lost their car and fell behind on home payments. Others faced health complications made worse by financial strain. At least one of the affected workers with chronic conditions passed away during this long period of uncertainty.

Their frustration has now reached a breaking point. For them, the fact that colleagues in other provinces are already back at work is a reminder of how far Gauteng still needs to go.

A fund under scrutiny

Letsoalo’s leadership remains under the microscope in Parliament. The Standing Committee on Public Accounts has subpoenaed him after failed attempts to secure his voluntary appearance. This follows concern over the estimated R100 million spent on disciplinary matters during his tenure and claims that certain employees were kept on suspension for years without formal charges.

As scrutiny intensifies, affected staff hope the renewed attention will force movement on their cases.

A petition for relief

In an effort to push the matter forward, more than eighty current and former employees have signed a petition urging the RAF to enforce the board’s directive. For them, reinstatement is not only about correcting institutional decisions. It is about rebuilding lives placed on hold and regaining dignity after years of uncertainty.

Their message is simple. The board has spoken, the reviews are overdue, and they want to work again.