Road Accident Fund begins clearing R20 billion payout backlog

Zuko Komisa

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has paid R3.3 billion to address a backlog of over R20 billion in outstanding claims, a move announced by its new interim board.
The payments are the first step in a broader turnaround programme aimed at honouring all outstanding claims and implementing a sustainable system to prevent future delays.
This action follows the RAF’s recent High Court defeat, where its application for a 180-day moratorium on court-ordered payments was dismissed due to a lack of urgency.

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has announced a significant step towards resolving its claims crisis, revealing it has paid out R3.3 billion to claimants over the past two weeks.

This initial payment is aimed at tackling a substantial backlog of claims, estimated to be over R20 billion, that have been outstanding for more than 180 days.

The fund’s new interim board, which made the announcement on Wednesday, described the move as “the first step towards restoring the dignity of the Road Accident Fund.”

The payments were made following a series of meetings with legal professionals and service providers.

In its statement, the RAF interim board pledged to honour all outstanding payments and reported on further measures being taken to expedite the settlement of all outstanding claims.

The board emphasised its commitment to implementing a sustainable claims management system to prevent any future backlogs.

This initiative, it stated, is part of a wider turnaround programme designed to address systemic delays and restore public confidence in the fund’s operations.

The payout follows the RAF’s recent unsuccessful application to the High Court in Pretoria, where it had sought a 180-day moratorium on the execution of writs and warrants for capital and interest against the fund.

This moratorium would have provided the RAF with temporary legal protection from immediate court-ordered payments. However, on 2 September 2025, Judge Jabulani Nyathi struck the application from the court roll, with costs, citing a lack of urgency