Letsoalo's suspension sparks uproar: Reformist CEO taken down amid legal backlash
Sources close to the matter claim the suspension of RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo was a calculated move to pacify a deeply aggrieved group of attorneys
In a move that has ignited controversy and speculation, Collins Letsoalo, the CEO of the Road Accident Fund (RAF), has been placed on suspension — a decision that legal experts and insiders say is less about accountability and more about political appeasement.
Letsoalo's suspension comes just weeks after a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling cleared him and the RAF board of personal liability in two long-delayed claims.
While the court's decision offered legal vindication, the political pressure around his leadership has been mounting, largely from within a legal fraternity that has openly waged war on him since his tenure began.
Sources close to the matter claim the suspension was a calculated move to pacify a deeply aggrieved group of attorneys, many of whom also serve as magistrates and judges and wield substantial influence and public funds.
These lawyers have seen their lucrative RAF-related revenues dry up under Letsoalo's aggressive anti-corruption and reform agenda. Letsoalo is no stranger to conflict. He publicly branded elements of the legal industry as 'thuggish,' accusing some attorneys of manipulating the claims system for personal enrichment at the expense of road accident victims.
One of the most high-profile battles was with Gert Nel Incorporated and the Association for the Protection of Road Accident Victims (APRAV), whom Letsoalo accused of fighting transformation and resisting the Road Accident Benefit Scheme (RABS) Bill — a policy shift that threatens the profit models of many legal firms.
'They never cared about victims,' Letsoalo declared during a media briefing in March. 'They cared about the billions they've made off the pain of others.'
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