Bosses of the Road Accident Fund (RAF) have been hauled to court for contempt after failing to compensate a car accident victim.
Thembisile Msibi, the board chairperson of RAF, and Collins Letsoalo, the company’s chief executive, are under fire from Hellen Mabule’s attorney for disobeying the March 19 court order that judge Brad Wanless issued.
Mabule was granted an order compelling the RAF to compensate her after she was involved in an accident in April 2021, where she was a passenger in an insured motor vehicle.
According to Mabule’s lawyer, Theo Mapheto of Mapheto Attorneys, he filed an urgent court application to compel the RAF and its bosses to adhere to the ruling that stipulated that the organisation compensate his client.
Mapheto stated that the RAF and its head honchos cocked a snook on the order.
“This is an urgent application for Rule Nisi, requiring the first respondent [RAF], second respondent [Msibi], and third respondent [Letsoalo] to show cause, if any, why they should not be declared in contempt of court and sanctioned accordingly,” reads Mapheto’s founding affidavit.
Urgency and gravity of the matter
He added that, given the urgency and gravity of the matter, immediately after the order was granted, the respondents had refused to accept the court order.
On April 4, judge Namhla Silwendu entertained Mapheto’s urgent application and ordered that the RAF, Msibi, and Letsoalo accept delivery of Mabule’s claim documents by no later than April 5.
“Declaring that the first, second, and third respondents are in contempt of this honourable court’s decision handed by Wanless J on March 19, 2024.
“Imposing a fine, such as is deemed appropriate by this honourable court, on the first, second, and third respondents,” reads the order.
Msibi and Letsoalo were also ordered to pay the costs of the lawsuit from their own pockets.
